U.S. all-in to win CONCACAF Gold Cup, and for good reason

As international soccer tournaments go, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is a pretty strange thing.

You won't find another event like it where teams can make six changes to their roster between the group stage and knockout rounds. It's a huge advantage for the United States, which basically treated the group stage as a scouting platform for second-tier players.

There's risk in that, of course, as the United States and Mexico can attest to. The Americans struggled past Martinique. Mexico couldn't score against Jamaica, and needed a last-minute goal to put away Curaçao.

In the end, both superpowers won their gambles, and won their groups. Now the big guns are ready to fire, and U.S. coach Bruce Arena summoned some of the biggest ones in the armory. Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard have joined the squad ahead of Wednesday's quarterfinal against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., Fox Sports 1 and Univision). So has Darlington Nagbe, who will bring a needed creative spark to the midfield.

Is it unfair? Sure, especially for players who did the job in the group stage and have now been dropped from the roster. Dom Dwyer and Kelyn Rowe probably deserved to stick around. But the rules are what they are, and Arena is taking full advantage of them.

The Americans' goal, after all, is to win the tournament. Yes, it's nice to be able to get some new names on the marquee along the way, and test guys who've earned the right to get a shot at the national team stage. Dwyer has made an especially strong impression, with goals in two of the three games he's played so far.

But while many fans dismiss the Gold Cup as a lesser event, the national team program does not. Indeed, American coaches and players always care deeply about the experience and bragging rights that come with winning the tournament.

"Everybody should be really proud of what went into the three games," Bradley, the U.S. captain, said after the group stage-clinching win over Nicaragua. "We all understand now that the level of competition, the quality, is going to continue to go up and up. So we have to continue to raise our level as the tournament goes on, but that's a challenge we're excited for … The focus now goes to Wednesday now, and doing whatever we have to do to make sure we take care of business."

Bradley made the point more directly after Tuesday's practice at Penn's soccer field.

"We want to win the championship," he said. "That's clear. Every time we step on the field in one of these Gold Cups, that's always the aim: to hold up the trophy at the end."

That didn't happen last time around. In 2015, the Americans suffered an embarrassing loss to Jamaica in the semifinals. It was the first time since 2003, and just the third time ever that the U.S. didn't make the title game — and the start of Jurgen Klinsmann's downfall as head coach.

For all that Arena has fixed since Klinsmann was fired last November, returning the U.S. to the top of the Gold Cup podium remains on the checklist. It's a safe bet that the six players on this year's team who were on the squad back then haven't forgotten that night.

It won't be easy, though. While dispatching El Salvador should be straightforward, a semifinal matchup against Costa Rica or Panama will be tough. Those two teams play in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader at the Linc. Expect an electric atmosphere, with thousands of fans from all four nations in the house.

Tickets are as cheap as $30, by the way. So there's no excuse for local soccer fans to pass up watching a fun and dramatic night of soccer in the city.

It should also be an attraction for the Union's scouts, as well as the rest of Major League Soccer. All three nations have proud histories of players succeeding with American clubs, and this year brings a potential new crop.

Costa Rica's Bryan Ruiz is a dynamic attacker who would look quite sharp in blue and gold. He wouldn't come cheap, but even at age 31 he's worth the money — and word is he might be on the market. He'd be a great role model for youngsters Adam Najem and newly-signed Anthony Fontana.

Other players to watch include Costa Rica striker Ariel Rodríguez, a proven scorer at the regional level; El Salvador's speedy Nelson Bonilla; and Panama youngster Ismael Díaz.

Across the bracket, Mexico is likely to reach the final. All eyes will be on the likelihood of a U.S.-Mexico title game showdown, another edition of CONCACAF's classic rivalry

But Mexico won't be overlooking the teams in its path. Quarterfinal opponent Honduras has nothing to lose, because they only qualified thanks to a forfeit when French Guiana intentionally fielded an ineligible player. The Catrachos didn't score at all in the group stage, but their 0-0 tie with Guiana became a 3-0 win in the record books.

Yes, you read that right. Guiana isn't even a full FIFA member, but can play in CONCACAF regional competitions. Having reached the Gold Cup for the first time ever, it deliberately flouted the rules as a way of protesting what it views as unfair treatment by soccer's global power brokers. It will be an all-time Gold Cup tale.

The other quarterfinal pits Canada against Jamaica. This tournament has been a coming-out party for Canada, with young stars like Anthony Jackson-Hamel, 23, and Alphonso Davies, a phenom at just 16. They've led their country to its first berth in the knockout rounds since 2007. Now they have to solve Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, who has allowed just one goal in the tournament so far.

Canada and Jamaica are the kinds of teams for which the Gold Cup really matters. Because they didn't make the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifying, they haven't played a really meaningful game since September of 2016. They definitely care about being on this stage.

So does Honduras, as it eyes an upset of Mexico — whose fans will probably call for the coach's head if they don't make the final. El Salvador wants to spoil the United States' party. Costa Rica would cement its status as CONCACAF's third power by winning its first Gold Cup title. Panama wants the crown for momentum ahead of the World Cup qualifying climax. And the Americans have made their view clear.

All eight teams are locked in. Perhaps that's a sign that U.S. fans should be too.

At Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.

6 p.m.: 1A. Panama vs. 2B. Costa Rica (Fox Sports 1, UniMás, Univision Deportes, TSN1/4, RDS2)
9 p.m.: 1B. United States vs. 3C. El Salvador (Fox Sports 1, UniMás, Univision Deportes, TSN4, RDS2)

At University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

7:30 p.m.: 2A. Canada vs. 2C. Jamaica (Fox Sports 1, Univision, Univision Deportes, TSN1/4, RDS2)
10:30 p.m.: 1C. Mexico vs. 3A. Honduras (Fox Sports 1, Univision, Univision Deportes, TSN2, RDS2)

Click here for the full tournament schedule, including details on television and online streaming broadcasts.