SOC: Gold Cup Knockout Stage
The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup is half way completed, as we have moved past the Group Stage, and onto the Knockout Stage. Eight teams advanced to the bracket: Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica, United States, El Salvador, Canada, Honduras, and Panama.
The games will begin on July 19, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. ET, when Costa Rica takes on Panama. The United States and El Salvador will also play that night. We have six of our writers giving their picks below for the entire tournament, and make sure to check out our Gold Cup Preview published on July 7.
Costa Rica vs. Panama (6:00 p.m. ET on July 19): Costa Rica went 2-0-1 in the Group Stage, earning seven points, to finish in first place in Group A. They defeated Honduras and French Guiana, while tying Canada, 1-1. Panama also scored seven points, but finished in second place in Group B, after tying the United States, and then beating Nicaragua and Martinique, with a combined score of 5-1.
Charles Post: Costa Rica.
Chase Zayac: Costa Rica.
Ricardo Mendoza: Costa Rica.
Blake Stoll: Panama.
Caleb Henderson: Panama.
Chinedum Wejinya: Costa Rica.
United States vs. El Salvador (9:00 p.m. ET on July 19): United States wasn't as impressive as a lot of people would have hoped, but it was enough to get to the top of Group B, following two victories and one tie, with a total score of 7-3. According to Yahoo! Sports, the U.S. plans to play Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, and Clint Dempsey in the knockout stage. El Salvador on the other hand, finished in third place in Group C, after a loss to Mexico, a win over Curacao, and a draw with Jamaica.
Charles Post: United States.
Chase Zayac: United States.
Ricardo Mendoza: United States.
Blake Stoll: United States.
Caleb Henderson: United States.
Chinedum Wejinya: United States.
Mexico vs. Honduras (7:30 p.m. ET on July 20): Mexico continue the trend of first place teams going 2-0-1, tying with Jamaica, after going scoreless. Mexico's defense has been impressive, though, giving up just one goal in three games. Honduras finished in third place in Group A, behind Costa Rica and Canada, and in front of French Guiana.
Charles Post: Mexico.
Chase Zayac: Mexico.
Ricardo Mendoza: Mexico.
Blake Stoll: Mexico.
Caleb Henderson: Mexico.
Chinedum Wejinya: Mexico.
Jamaica vs. Canada (10:30 p.m. ET on July 20): Jamaica finished with two ties, against Mexico and El Salvador, following a 2-0 defeat over Curacao. Canada looked similar, finishing with five points too, after a 4-2 victory over French Guiana, before a pair of ties against Costa Rica and Honduras.
Charles Post: Jamaica.
Chase Zayac: Canada.
Ricardo Mendoza: Jamaica.
Blake Stoll: Jamaica.
Caleb Henderson: Canada.
Chinedum Wejinya: Jamaica.
Semifinals (9:00 p.m. on July 22 and July 23): For the first matchup, 3-out-of-5 of our writers have Costa Rica taking on the United States, while the other two have Panama taking on the U.S. with a championship berth on the line. In the second semifinal, 3-out-of-5 of our writers have Mexico facing Jamaica, with two of us predicting a Mexico vs. Canada game.
Charles Post: United States and Mexico.
Chase Zayac: United States and Mexico.
Ricardo Mendoza: United States and Mexico.
Blake Stoll: United States and Mexico.
Caleb Henderson: United States and Mexico.
Chinedum Wejinya: United States and Mexico.
Championship (9:30 p.m. ET on July 26): After having different predictions throughout the quarterfinals, we all ended with the same two teams: Mexico and the United States, who account for all but one of the Gold Cup titles, with Mexico's last coming in 2015 and the U.S. last being victorious in 2013. In June, when the two teams faced one another in a Friendly, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Charles Post: United States.
Chase Zayac: United States.
Ricardo Mendoza: Mexico.
Blake Stoll: United States.
Caleb Henderson: United States.
Chinedum Wejinya: Mexico.
Photo Credit: Zimbio.