The Gold Cup never bores.
It was initiated in 1991 to bring stability to the CONCACAF championship that had been around since 1941 in various forms. The inaugural Gold Cup marked the United States’ first international title and the introduction of the quadruple-header.
The 36,703 fans who saw four straight games at the L.A. Coliseum can consider themselves a part of history, because we’ll never see another quadruple-header. But the seeds planted in 1991 have produced one of the world’s most intriguing tournaments.
While the European Championship, the most hyped of the continental tournaments, has degenerated into low-scoring sparring matches between squads distinguishable only by the color of their jerseys, the Gold Cup serves up a diverse plate of soccer.
The Canadians cling to their British roots, the United States remains an interesting work in progress, and Mexico has taken its skill-based game to a higher level in the last decade by adding pace to its attack.
The Central American nations with Caribbean populations offer a splendid combination of adept ball technique and explosiveness.
The Caribbeans themselves have garnered international attention for producing fine players.
A region dominated by poor nations produces inconsistent national team programs and underachievers. Teams on the rise one year could look awful the next, but predictability is never a problem.
Since 1996, the Gold Cup has invited teams from outside the region. Brazil’s entry in the last two tournaments has brought the likes of Romario, Denilson and Roberto Carlos to the U.S. shores.
The United States has become the perennial host thanks to its ability to fill stadiums. The last two tournaments have been plagued by rainstorms, but both averaged more than 30,000 per game day and each final had about 90,000.
Those numbers speak for themselves.