Gregg Berhalter: “Our goal is to progress through the group and ultimately compete for a trophy.” (Photo courtesy of U.S. Soccer)

CHICAGO – The U.S. men’s national team will begin its quest for a seventh confederation title as part of Group B in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup along with Canada, Martinique and a team that will be determined through the 2021 Gold Cup Prelims.

The draw was held in Miami Monday night.

The Gold Cup will take place from July 10-Aug. 1, with the schedule and venues expected to be announced in the near future.

Based on the Gold Cup Prelims draw, the remaining team in Group B could be one of four possibilities: Barbados, Bermuda, Haiti or St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Prelim Round will run from July 2-6 at a venue to be determined in the United States.

The United States has lifted the Concacaf Gold Cup six times, most recently in the 2017 edition. The USMNT won the inaugural tournament in 1991 before being crowned regional champions again in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2013. Should the USA win the 2019 competition, it would tie Mexico’s record of seven titles.

“We’re looking forward to competing in our confederation’s premier event,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said in a statement. “We have a good group. The three opponents will challenge us in different ways. Our goal is to progress through the group and ultimately compete for a trophy.”

Twelve teams had advanced to the 16-team group stage. They included the winners and runners-up in 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League League A groups, and the winners of CNL League B groups, including Canada, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Suriname and the USA

Those dozen teams will be joined in the group stage by AFC Asian Cup champions, Qatar, which will compete as a guest as part of a major collaboration between Concacaf and the host country of the 2022 World Cup.

The final three teams will come from the 2021 Gold Cup Prelims, a tournament comprised of the 12 national teams who qualified through their 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League performances, including the third placed teams from League A groups, the second placed teams from League B groups, and the winners of League C groups. Those teams are Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Montserrat, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

 

2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Groups

2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Groups
Group A Group B Group C Group D
Mexico USA Costa Rica Honduras
El Salvador Canada Jamaica Panama
Curaçao Martinique Suriname Grenada
Prelim Winner 9 Prelim Winner 7 Prelim Winner 8 Qatar

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.