The CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 draw was just announced, and Detroit-area soccer fans are the big winners. The first round matches at Ford Field on June 7 will include Panama vs. Guadeloupe and the United States vs. Canada. Yes, that's right. The U.S. men's national soccer team will match up against Canada at Ford Field.
Here is the schedule for the June 7 matches at Ford Field:
Panama vs. Guadeloupe - 6 p.m.
United States vs. Canada - 8 p.m.
The groups for the 2011 Gold Cup are as follows:
Group A: Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Cuba
Group B: Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica, Grenada
Group C: USA, Canada, Panamá, Guadeloupe
The way the Gold Cup works is that each group has round-robin play over the span of a week. The group winners and runners-up will advance to the quarterfinals, which is the knockout stage of the tournament. The semifinals will take place in Houston on June 22, and the final will be three days later at the Rose Bowl in California.
Tickets for the 2011 Gold Cup will go on sale to the general public on March 16 (next Wednesday).