The six group winners then will play off for the three remaining spots in the octagonal. According to the letter, USSF president Carlos Cordeiro has invited CONMEBOL leaders to discuss the proposal next week in Miami. Peter Vermes explains to ESPN FC why USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter's system needs to be implemented throughout the U.S. men's youth program. Will soccer follow suit? The tournament would also provide a valuable event in which the U.S. could participate, as well as help determine host cities for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. All Rights Reserved. Following the official draw for the 2021 Gold Cup, Concacaf also unveiled a dynamic new brand for the Gold Cup, its flagship men’s international competition. Originally set to take place between qualifying dates, the tournament likely would’ve been played without several top players from several top teams. Cordeiro, speaking at the organization's Annual General Meeting earlier this month, cast doubt on the future of the Gold Cup, stating that he was unsure if the event would continue beyond 2021. The Guyanese finished third in their pool, following a record of two losses and a draw. The USA last played on Feb. 1 in a friendly without European-based players. "These are extraordinary times, and we all need to continue to adjust,” Berhalter said in a comment shared by U.S. Soccer. Any combined tournament would have to be approved by both confederations as well as the USSF. The Golden Jaguars recorded their maiden appearance in the 2019 edition. Lapchick: MLS can continue to push diversity, Tuchel's final season at PSG could end quickly thanks to feud with Leonardo, Transfer window winners and losers: Mourinho, U.S. on top. "We view this opportunity positively as it is not intended to replace or substitute any future editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and it complements our vision to continue providing opportunities for our Member Associations to play competitive football at the highest level.". CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have been engaged in talks for over a year on holding another combined Copa America, but have been unable to come to an agreement. The USSF is offering to underwrite the entire event, including a guarantee that each team will receive a minimum of $4 million to participate. By getting its proposal on the table now, the USSF is hoping to kickstart organizing efforts, regardless of which entities will agree to participate. Concacaf revamped the qualifying format last month, establishing a first round featuring the 30 lowest-ranked national teams in the region. That proved to be a critical infusion of cash for the USSF given the fallout from the U.S.'s subsequent failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Four more match days, or two windows, will be required to finish the round. All told, the USSF is willing to pay out nearly $200m to the participants -- both teams and confederations -- of the event. The USA, Mexico and other Concacaf favorites won't be kicking off World Cup qualifying next June after all, thanks to new coronavirus-related postponements announced Tuesday by … By Stabroek News September 29, 2020 Guyana’s path to their second appearance in the Gold Cup will go through Guatemala, as the Golden Jaguars, the senior men’s team, were drawn against the Central American outfit last evening during the inaugural 2021 Concacaf Draw, which was staged in Miami. "CONCACAF is in receipt of the communication sent by the U.S. Soccer Federation to CONMEBOL Member Associations," the regional governing body confirmed in a statement. The USSF's motivation is clear. They’ll now be contested in March and June 2021. Richard Lapchick | Contributing writer, ESPN.com, Vermes: Berhalter's style needs to filter down to U.S. youth teams (2:41), Grealish, Calvert-Lewin's England performances vs. Wales could soon pose questions of Southgate, Olsen out at D.C. United, may stay on in new role, McKennie excited for USMNT stars in Europe, Man Utd's Pogba: Real Madrid still 'a dream', New Ozil blow: Playmaker out of UEL squad, Sancho, Abraham available for England-Belgium, Study reveals levels of prejudice against women, Transfer Talk: Spurs confident in move for Swansea defender Rodon. The United States Soccer Federation has sent letters to CONMEBOL, CONMEBOL's member federations and CONCACAF proposing a new international men's tournament that it is calling the Continental Cup 2020. The next available international window is next month, but U.S. Soccer is now low on time to schedule a game or two. But CONMEBOL said last year that it was planning to move the Copa America to a quadrennial schedule starting in 2020 to coincide with UEFA's European Championship. Miami, FL (Wednesday, September 2, 2020) – Concacaf has announced an exciting new format for the 2021 edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup, and the introduction of a first ever draw for the prestigious regional tournament. (2:41). The USA, Mexico and other Concacaf favorites won't be kicking off World Cup qualifying next June after all, thanks to new coronavirus-related postponements announced Tuesday by the regional governing body. At that point, rest probably would have been more important. The USA will begin with games against two of the three first-round qualifiers. Before prize money, the total compensation to CONMEBOL and its teams will be $90m, while CONCACAF and its teams will receive $74m. Guyana went down to hosts and eventual runner-up the United States 4-0, before going down to Panama 4-2. The invitees will consist of all 10 CONMEBOL countries as well as six CONCACAF nations. FlashScore.com offers CONCACAF Champions League 2020 livescore, final and partial results, CONCACAF Champions League 2020 standings and match details (goal scorers, red cards, odds comparison, …). Meanwhile, the first round will also witness Haiti battling Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago against Montserrat, Cuba opposing French Guiana, Guadeloupe tackling Bahamas and Bermuda engaging Barbados. The octagonal format isn’t expected to change. Those round-robin games have been postponed. October 1, 2020 | 0 Comments. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Now, with the likes of Mexico and the USA not starting down the road to Qatar until September, the Gold Cup could become more of a dress rehearsal and an opportunity to bring players together who otherwise wouldn’t have shared a field in a year or more. Sports Illustrated understands it will now begin during the Aug. 30-Sept. 7, 2021, international window. Guatemala, who emerged as winner of their Nations League group-C pool, is ranked ninth in the region and 130th internationally. The United States Soccer Federation has sent letters to CONMEBOL, CONMEBOL's member federations and CONCACAF proposing a new international men's tournament that it is calling the Continental Cup 2020. The second window will take place Oct. 4-12, 2021, when the Americans meet Honduras and Jamaica. Upon the completion of the Gold Cup Group Stage, eight teams will advance to a newly formatted Knockout Phase in which teams on opposite sides of the bracket will meet from the Quarterfinals onwards. Group-C consists of Costa Rica, Jamaica, Suriname and Preliminary Winner of Section Eight, with group-D containing Honduras, Panama, Grenada and Qatar. Meanwhile, Concacaf also staged the draw for the group round of the main tournament. “Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging public health situations, and that has been a key factor in this decision,” Concacaf said Tuesday. Transfer window: Grading every big signing from Europe's top clubs, Kubo being held back by Emery at Villarreal, USMNT's Dest at Barca among young stars poised for breakout year, Champions League group reaction: Messi vs. Ronaldo the highlight, Man United face grueling group, Freddy Adu: 'I'm not ready to give it up'. A FREE roundup of top news from Guyana you might otherwise miss. The preliminary round, which will be contested utilizing a direct elimination format, will be staged from July 2nd-6th in a centralized location in the United States. UEFA Nations League resumes amid COVID-19 fears: England need wins after off-field drama, Spain stress, Bayern Munich rebuild on a budget as Bundesliga largely looks to loans, Dest: I'll play on left or right for Barcelona, For Reyna and Co., Germany is the place to be, Mesut Ozil at Arsenal: The highs and lows of his time at the Emirates, Mexico's 'Tecatito' Corona shows MVP form in win over Netherlands, CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifying to begin with coronavirus, not football, the talking point, Matches, matches and more matches: Soccer's road map to 2022 World Cup won't be easy. The Guyanese who are ranked 19th in Concaf and 166th under the FIFA umbrella, will now match skills with the 1967 Concacaf Championship victor, the precursor to the now Gold Cup, for a place in the second round of qualifiers. Before Tuesday’s announcement, the octagonal was set to end during the March 21-29, 2022, window. Those games also will take place in June 2021, just before the Gold Cup’s July start. Does Roger Harper have it in him to pull out a few gutsy calls? The schedule shift could have an interesting impact on next summer’s Gold Cup. This is a change from previous Gold Cup tournaments when teams only competed against opponents on the same side of the bracket until the Final. Those 30 sides were divided into groups of five and were scheduled to play four matches each this October and November. Log in for full access to stabroeknews.com. What's wrong with the giants? Delivered every morning. The new set-up for Concacaf’s flagship competition will include a Preliminary Round prior to the 16 team Group Stage. The schedule shift—the second required by the pandemic—will see the expanded octagonal final round begin after the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, rather than before. Despite the short run-up to the 2016 tournament, the U.S. still managed to receive a cut of $72m. ", © 2020 ABG-SI LLC. CONCACAF later issued a statement indicating that the Gold Cup is on the FIFA calendar through 2023, and that it has every intention of continuing to hold the tournament. The format won’t change again. Narine’s KKR gets the better of Bravo’s Chennai, Ninvalle resigns as chairman of Caribbean Steering Committee, GFA president James bats for Muhammad as DoS, Francis no longer GFF Communications Director, Nurse calls for professional football league in Guyana, Golden Jaguars to face Barbados in CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifier. The New York Times was the first to report the news. Only one active session is allowed per subscriber. We look forward to receiving the updated schedule so we can plan accordingly. As a result, the octagonal has been pushed back as well. The USSF is also offering to establish a 2026 Legacy Fund to assist in growing the sport of soccer in the entire CONCACAF region ahead of the 2026 World Cup. A USSF spokesperson indicated to ESPN FC that it is still possible for a combined Copa America to be held if the three aforementioned parties can agree. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN FC, proposes a tournament that will in many ways mirror the Copa America Centenario that was hosted by the U.S. in 2016. After group stage play, the top two finishers in each of the League A groups and the top finisher in each of the League B groups secured their participation in the 16th edition of the Confederation’s premier tournament for men’s national teams.