The International Champions Cup begings today and with it comes an assault of hyperbole, a glut of sponsors and a legion of mercenary money-grubbers. It’s hell on earth as ESPN tells us that Miami’s El Clasico will be the biggest event in American soccer history, Heineken encourages you to consume a pony keg by way of IV drip and Manchester United plant their imperial flag in Sandy, Utah.
If you are a fan of U.S. soccer or a frequenter of social media in general than there’s a good chance that Cassius Dwyer, the son of Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer, is one of your favorite little humans.
Though he’s only 10 months old, young Cassius has already shown he has quite personality. We feeling he's had some strong opinions while watching the U.S. men in the Gold Cup recently. After all, there’s nothing more pure than a baby’s reaction.
Before the friendly between the LA Galaxy and Manchester United Sunday, Galaxy mascot Cozmo pulled a little joke on United during warm-ups, displaying a sign that said "IT'S CALLED SOCCER" to the Red Devils.
I cannot tell you - it is literally impossible to convey - how much this photo means to me. pic.twitter.com/5t1uKCPbbx
— Will Parchman (@WillParchman) July 16, 2017
The CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match-ups are set. Only eight teams remain. Let's check them out:
July 19: Costa Rica vs. Panama
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: FOX Sports 1, Univision
Match-up: Costa Rica finished first in Group A, and Panama finished second in Group B. Costa Rica thrives on an organized defense and the creativity of Benfica midfielder Bryan Ruiz on offense. Panama's top players include Porto forward Ismail Diaz and NYCFC midfielder Miguel Camargo.
It is now time to take the CONCACAF Gold Cup seriously. A Gold Cup rule allows managers to make up to six changes between the group and knockout stages, and USMNT manager Bruce Arena is bringing in his all-time leading goalscorer, his number one goalkeeper, his captain, his top striker and Darlington Nagbe, who's probably the best player of the bunch.
From USSoccer.com:
When the United States began their Gold Cup campaign last Saturday I was in a bar. I was there to watch this game, but somewhere around the 30th minute I started to drift. I was like a pass from the American midfield — serenely floating here and there without any purpose or sense of direction.
Dom Dwyer’s opening goal sent the bartender on a rambling ode to Sydney Leroux that lasted until tonight’s match against Nicaragua, a week-long sonnet on unrealized love.
In an absurd first for major international tournaments (so you know it’s coming by way of the CONCACAF Gold Cup), a competing nation has knowingly and willingly knocked itself out of the competition.
Los Estados Unidos han sido anfitriones de las últimas siete Copas de Oro de la CONCACAF, lo que se podría considerar que proporcionaría a la USMNT una importante ventaja en el campo de juego. Sin embargo, las cifras de asistencia dejan claro que México tiene el apoyo más leal de los Estados Unidos.
Chuck Blazer, the former FIFA Executive committee member and CONCACAF General Secretary who the FBI flipped into spilling the beans on FIFA corruption, passed away yesterday at age 72, his lawyers confirmed.
Chuck Blazer, a controversial former FIFA exec, has died. Statement from his lawyers here: pic.twitter.com/j1wOXORbWY
— Jim Dalrymple II (@JimDalrympleII) July 13, 2017
The Gold Cup is under way and the two goliaths of North American soccer have seen action: Mexico kicked off their tournament with a 3-1 win over El Salvador and play Jamaica tonight. The United States floundered against Panama on Saturday, taking just a point from the match, and then floundered against Martinique on Wednesday night, albeit winning 3-2.
The two have impressive records at the Cup. Mexico has 7 titles, the U.S. has 5.