Expectations high for US, Mexico heading into Gold Cup

A year removed from the World Cup, Mexico and the United States are rebuilding for a 2010 qualifying run with new managers -- yet with no decrease in expectations.  When the Gold Cup starts Wednesday in Miami, it's likely one of the two teams will come away with the title. After all, except for Canada's surprising 2000 victory, the U.S. and Mexico have won the other seven Gold Cup crowns.

"Everybody expects the U.S. and Mexico to reach the final," said former U.S. national team defender Marcelo Balboa, now a TV analyst. "There's always a chance for somebody else. Look at Panama last time.  Costa Rica is getting better, Honduras is getting better, Canada is getting better -- any team can beat another team. But the U.S. is deep, like Mexico."

The tournament opens with Costa Rica facing Canada and Guadeloupe taking on Haiti in Group A at Miami. The defending champion United States begins play Thursday in Los Angeles against Guatemala, and El Salvador will face Trinidad in Group B. Four-time Gold Cup champion Mexico plays in Group C and opens Friday night in New York against Cuba after Panama plays Honduras.  With Major League Soccer in the middle of its season, Bradley has called in five players for the U.S. from Europe with five appearances or fewer. Of the 12 MLS players on the 23-man team, five have three or fewer appearances with the national team.

That's a lot of inexperience for a tournament that Bradley, who replaced Bruce Arena as coach, has said is this year's most important priority.  Still, the U.S. team's depth seems to be improving, as evidenced by a 4-1 victory against China on Saturday, despite six players making their national team debuts.  Mexico's roster includes many of its top players, including Omar Bravo, his Chivas teammate Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista, Francisco Fonseca from Tigres, Jared Borgetti from Cruz Azul and America's Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will join MLS' Chicago Fire in July.

Defender Rafael Marquez of FC Barcelona also is on the roster, but because the Spanish season has two rounds remaining, he won't arrive until the semifinals.  Hugo Sanchez has only lost once since taking over El Tri, after having lobbied for the position for years. That loss, however, is a 2-0 February defeat to the U.S. before a capacity partisan Mexican crowd of 64,000 in Phoenix, when a full-strength Mexican side failed to subdue an American team weakened by the absence of its European-based players.

"Hugo Sanchez is coming here to win this thing. He lost to the U.S. once. I don't think he wants to do it again," Balboa said. "I think Hugo is bringing the full team to prove a point. You can lose once, but not twice to the U.S. and expect to stay national team coach."

At least this year, nobody has to worry about somebody from outside the confederation winning the title. For the first time since 1993, no teams from outside the region have been invited. CONCACAF started the practice to capitalize on the large immigrant populations in several U.S. cities, inviting Colombia three times as a means to boost attendance as well as overseas television interest and corporate sponsorship.

Three times an invited team reached the final, including Colombia in 2000. But after South Africa brought what many in its own country described as a "C" team two years ago, CONCACAF realized the value of the additional sides wasn't offset by the cost of bringing them.