CONCACAF to do away with third-place game for Gold Cup
One source with knowledge of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup says next summer’s tournament will have a couple of changes.
The final will be on a Wednesday night (July 26) instead of the weekend, and it’s likely that there will be no third-place game this time around. The verdict on the third-place game in 2015 (in which Panama beat the U.S. on penalty kicks) was that it wasn’t worth repeating in the future. After taking a five-tournament hiatus from hosting third-place games, CONCACAF had reinstated it for 2015.
Gold Cup host cities for 2017 are expected to begin being announced next month and the schedule will likely be revealed in March. The tournament will start on July 7.
U.S. players leave Klinsmann with much to ponder in weeks before Mexico clash
Mexico is the reigning champion and beat the U.S. last October in a battle of the two most recent Gold Cup winners for the right to go to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
