With the Gold Cup only three days away, we’ll look at the stadiums that will host El Tri and their boisterous fans. It should be noted that this Gold Cup will have a few games away from the USA, with Jamaica and Costa Rica hosting 1st round games. Mexico’s road to the final will have some familiar venues along the way and thousands of rowdy fans waiting to make them feel at home.
El Tri’s participation in the tournament will begin at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California against Cuba. El Tri is very familiar with the Rose Bowl and brings back some pleasant memories, specially while playing in a black uniform. Giovanni Dos Santos’ Floater won a Gold Cup for Mexico in 2011 in Pasadena, while a stunning Paul Aguilar goal won the Concacaf Cup in 2015. The stadium will be a sea of green and should make Mexico very comfortable.
Martino’s team will then travel to Sports Authority Field in Denver, Colorado for their 2nd game. This should be the most challenging game for El Tri in the 1st round as Canada’s young team starring Alphonso Davis might give El Tri fits. Again, with a high Mexican American population in the area, Mexico will be overwhelmingly represented in the stands for their 2nd “home” game of the tournament.
The final group game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina versus Martinique. This might be the least frequented venue by El Tri but they have played the Gold Cup here before. They beat Cuba 5-0 in the group stage of the 2011 edition and tied Trinidad and Tobago 4-4 also in the group stage of the 2015 tournament, so again look for the crowd to be very pro Mexico.
If Mexico, wins the group, NRG Stadium will be the next stop on El Tri’s journey, as Houston, Texas will host the quarterfinals game. The opponent will be determined by the final positions in Group B that included Haiti, Bermuda, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. If previous games in the area are any indication, Mexico will be the dominant team in the stands for this game as well.
If Mexico is triumphant in their game in Houston, Glendale, Arizona could be their next destination. The proximity of the stadium to the border will play a huge factor and no matter the opponent for the game, the crowd will be vastly in favor for Martino’s men.
The last stop should Mexico advance will be Chicago’s Soldier Field. While this venue will be in the furthest north the team will travel in this tournament, El Tri is no stranger to the venue during the Gold Cup having beaten Cuba 3-1 in the 2015 version of the tournament. Again, the amount of Paisanos in the area will guarantee that Mexico play the final in a homely environment.
