Mexico most likely team to play Gold Cup quarterfinal in Phoenix area

PHOENIX — When soccer fans pour into University of Phoenix Stadium this summer to catch a Gold Cup quarterfinal, they will practically be guaranteed to see Mexico play.

According to the Gold Cup schedule released Tuesday, Glendale will host two Gold Cup quarterfinal games in a doubleheader on July 20.

While the specific teams won’t be officially set until group play in the tournament is over, the first game will pit the best team from Group C against the third-place team from either Group A or B, while the second game will be between the second-place teams from Group C and Group A.

Group C consists of El Salvador, Curacao, Jamaica and champions Mexico, who should breeze through the group and book a date for one of the University of Phoenix Stadium games.

Unfortunately, fans who hoped to cheer on the United States are likely out of luck.

The U.S. team is in Group B with Martinique, Panama and either Haiti or Nicaragua. While nothing is certain, it is unlikely the team will finish third in the group and potentially be sent to a game in the Phoenix area.

Tickets are available online and start at $30.

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 quarterfinal of which will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium — 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.

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.

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