Phoenix area to host Gold Cup knockout round quarterfinal in July
Feb 14, 2017, 3:11 PM
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
PHOENIX — In December, it was announced that University of Phoenix Stadium would host a knockout round game in this summer’s Gold Cup soccer tournament.
On Tuesday, it was learned the game will be a quarterfinal match and will take place on July 20.
The teams playing in the game will not be known until the tournament is underway, as it will depend on which nations advance out of the group stage.
Fans can sign up for ticket notifications on the Gold Cup website. The tournament runs July 9-30.
The tournament, held every two years, pits 12 national teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean against one another to crown an eventual champion.
The teams will first square off in the aforementioned group stage. The top two seeds from each group, along with two others, will progress based on a point system — three points for a win, one for a tie and zero for a draw — to the knockout round.
In that round, the team that wins advances and the losers are out.
Some teams — including the United States and reigning champions Mexico — have already qualified for the Gold Cup. Both teams will play their group stage matches outside of Arizona, but could wind up in the desert in the knockout round.
The other teams that qualify will be announced next year.
University of Phoenix Stadium last hosted two Gold Cup game in 2015. Prior to that, the last Gold Cup game played at the stadium was in 2009.
The facility is becoming a draw for soccer games. Earlier this year, the facility hosted three Copa America matches, including the third-place game between the U.S. and Colombia. It has also hosted various other international friendlies and tournaments.
