Cleveland Hosting CONCACAF Gold Cup Soccer in 2017

CLEVELAND, OH - The US Men's National Soccer team will play July 15 at FirstEnergy Stadium as part of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Cleveland has hosted the team twice before, including in 2006, when current captain Michael Bradley made his national team debut.

CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced the 14 host stadiums for the 2017 Gold Cup Monday. Included on that list was Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium, which is hosting the US-led Group B games.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup, which occurs every two years, has served as a launching pad for North American, Central American, and Caribbean teams headed to the World Cup. The 2017 games will precede the 2018 World Cup in Russia by almost exactly one year.

If you can't make it to the game, Fox will carry the contest on its network.

“We’re excited to bring the Gold Cup to new markets across the country. These cities have all proved ready and eager to host our region’s marquee soccer championship, and welcome world class international soccer next summer,” said CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio in a release. “With matches also set for some of our more popular venues over the years, such as Dallas, Los Angeles and New York, next year’s Gold Cup will highlight the top-tier sporting status of international soccer across the nation.”

Other cities which will host matches are Santa Clara, Calif., Nashville, Tenn., San Antonio, Arlington, Texas; Houston; Philadelphia; San Diego; Tampa, Fla.; Harrison, N.J.; Pasadena, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Frisco, Texas; and Glendale, Ariz.

Twelve teams in three groups of four will compete in a round-robin before a knockout tournament determines the Gold Cup winner. Seven teams — the US, Mexico, Canada, Curacao, French Guiana, Jamaica, and Martinique — have already qualified.

Ticket information is available from CONCACAF.

Photo by Rick Uldricks, Patch