When the CONCACAF Gold Cup was launched, it was intended to be the confederation’s version of UEFA’s European Championships or CONMEBOL’s Copa América.
And for more than a generation it sufficed.
But as Mexico and the U.S. got better, playing group-play matches against the likes of Saint Kitts and Nevis or Martinique every other year ceased to be a challenge. So twice in the past decade the confederation brought South America’s championship tournament to North America just to make things interesting.
However, this summer the Gold Cup, which kicks off Saturday with Mexico, the reigning champion, facing the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium, has gotten its groove back.