Published 6/3/2011 4:09:14 PM by Shane Barrow from soccermogul

It's Gold Cup time again as play opens Sunday at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  The CONCACAF Championships that pits archrivals Mexico and the US on a collision course towards a memorable matchup.  The draw has three groups of four teams each with Mexico headlining Group A and the United States headlining Group C.  Group B is wide open with Guatemala, Honduras and Jamaica all drawn together.

Group A - Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Cuba
Mexico definitely is the favorite here.  Led by stars such as Chicharito, Rafa Marquez and Giovani dos Santos.  They bring a strong and deep roster and must be considered favorites to reach the final.  The squad looks ready to go judging from their 3-0 shellacking of New Zealand the other night, but they cannot be happy to have been drawn with rivals Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has clearly been the #3 side in CONCACAF over the recent years.  Nothing short of a semifinal appearance at the 2011 Gold Cup will be acceptable.  Ricardo la Volpe returns to face his former side in Mexico.  The key will be for Costa Rica to not look past El Salvador and Cuba to the final group match with Mexico.  

El Salvador will be looking for the huge upset.  They'll be looking to go giant-killing with Mexico and Costa Rica on their radars.  They have not made it out of group since 2003 and will be hard-pressed to do so this year as well.

Cuba arrives trying to make a name for themselves in CONCACAF play.  They have been on the fringes and that should not change here.  A solid defense gives them hope, but look for Cuba to make a quick exit from the tournament.

Group B - Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Grenada
The word out of Jamaica is that this squad is their most talented in a decade and should be feared.  They are led by nine players currently playing in the MLS.  The group looks to be totally up for grabs though.  Grenada will be cannon fodder for the other three and anyone who slips up against Grenada can kiss their Gold Cup goodbye.  

Honduras looks to make waves and build off their recent World Cup appearance.  They enter the Gold Cup with more questions than answers though.  They are currently on a three match losing streak and have had three coaching changes in the last year.  There is no denying the talent is present though to make a run.

Guatemala will probably be looked at as the third team in the group, but they'll be looking to rise up just as their U20s did recently in qualifying for the U20 World Cup.  Generating offense will be the key as Guatemala has been held to one goal or less in each of their last six matches.

Group C - United States, Canada, Panama, Guadeloupe

The United States are clear favorites here, but will get tested in their opening match with Canada.  The US fields a strong squad led by Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.  They must be focused right off the bat though.  Canada is a rising side with solid players such as Dwayne de Rosario and Julian de Guzman.  They would absolutely love to pull an upset over their rivals to the south.

Panama is looking to fly under the radar and pull the surprise.  Canada will clearly be focused on the US and a poor result could leave them vulnerable.  A key will be Panama grabbing a big result when they open against minnows Guadeloupe.  This is as big as it gets for the islanders from Guadeloupe.  They are not eligible for the World Cup as department of France.  Unfortunately for them, the talent is just not there to pose much a threat.

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