1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup

The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the soccer championship for the member associations of CONCACAF, which governs the sport in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesFebruary 1–15
Teams10 (from 2 confederations)
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Mexico (3rd title)
Runners-up United States
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Jamaica
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored44 (2.75 per match)
Top scorer(s)Mexico Luis Hernández
Costa Rica Paulo Wanchope
(4 goals each)
Best player(s)United States Kasey Keller
1996
2000

The tournament was once again held in the United States, with matches played in Los Angeles, Miami, and Oakland, California. The format of the tournament changed from 1996: it was expanded to ten teams, with four in Group A and three each in Groups B and C. The top team in each group, plus the second place in Group A would advance to the semifinals. Brazil was invited again, and brought their senior team this time. Prior to the tournament, Canada withdrew due to a lack of available players and were replaced by Jamaica.[1]

Jamaica topped Group A over Brazil, who they tied 0–0, in a surprise result for the team. In the semi-finals, the United States beat Brazil, as Preki scored the lone goal and Kasey Keller preserved the clean sheet. The United States could not repeat that performance in front of a pro-Mexican final crowd in Los Angeles. Mexico won their third straight Gold Cup, 1–0, on a Luis Hernández goal.

Venues

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Los Angeles Oakland Miami
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Orange Bowl
Capacity: 93,607 Capacity: 63,026 Capacity: 74,476
     

Teams

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Qualification

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Team Qualification Appearances Last appearance Previous best performance FIFA Ranking[2]
North American zone
  Mexico (TH) Automatic 4th 1996 Champions (1993,1996) 5
  United States Automatic 4th 1996 Champions (1991) 28
Caribbean zone qualified through the 1997 Caribbean Cup
  Trinidad and Tobago Winners 3rd 1996 Group stage (1991, 1996) 56
  Jamaica[pn 1] Third Place 3rd 1993 Third Place (1993) 39
  Cuba Playoff 1st None Debut 88
Central American zone qualified through the 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup
  Costa Rica Winners 3rd 1993 Third Place (1993) 51
  Guatemala Runners-up 3rd 1996 Fourth Place (1996) 83
  El Salvador Third Place 2nd 1996 Group stage (1996) 64
  Honduras Fourth Place 4th 1996 Runners-up (1991) 73
Other
  Brazil Invitation 2nd 1996 Runners-up (1996) 1

Notes:

  1. ^ Canada withdrew and was replaced by Jamaica on November 26, 1997.

Qualification play-off

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A playoff between Cuba, the runner-up from the 1996 Caribbean Cup and Saint Kitts and Nevis, the runner-up from the 1997 Caribbean Cup, was held to determine which nation would qualify for the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Squads

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The 10 national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 20 players; only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.

Group stage

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Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Jamaica 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7 Advance to Knockout stage
2   Brazil 3 1 2 0 5 1 +4 5
3   Guatemala 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1 2
4   El Salvador 3 0 1 2 0 6 −6 1
Source: [citation needed]
El Salvador  0–0  Guatemala
Report

Brazil  0–0  Jamaica
Report
Attendance: 43,754

Brazil  1–1  Guatemala
Romário   79' Report Plata   90'

El Salvador  0–4  Brazil
Report Edmundo   7'
Romário   19'
Élber   87', 90'
Guatemala  2–3  Jamaica
Plata   16'
Westphal   84'
Report Hall   14', 67'
Williams   55'

Jamaica  2–0  El Salvador
Gayle   41'
Simpson   62'
Report

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Mexico 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 6 Advance to Knockout stage
2   Trinidad and Tobago 2 1 0 1 5 5 0 3
3   Honduras 2 0 0 2 1 5 −4 0
Source: [citation needed]
Honduras  1–3  Trinidad and Tobago
Pavón   66' Report Nixon   35'
John   39', 70'
Attendance: 11,234

Mexico  4–2  Trinidad and Tobago
Ramírez   37'
Hernández   63', 82'
Palencia   65'
Report Marcelle   59'
Nixon   75'
Attendance: 17,256
Referee: Mendoça (Brazil)

Mexico  2–0  Honduras
Blanco   22', 86' Report

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   United States 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 6 Advance to Knockout stage
2   Costa Rica 2 1 0 1 8 4 +4 3
3   Cuba 2 0 0 2 2 10 −8 0
Source: [citation needed]
United States  3–0  Cuba
Wegerle   55'
Wynalda   58'
Moore   76' (pen.)
Report
Attendance: 11,234

Costa Rica  7–2  Cuba
Berry   3'
Wanchope   21', 32', 64', 78'
López   29' (pen.)
Myers   44'
Report Martén   50'
Sebrango   90'

United States  2–1  Costa Rica
Pope   7'
Preki   78'
Report Oviedo   56'
Attendance: 36,240

Knockout stage

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Bracket

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
February 10 – Los Angeles
 
 
  United States1
 
February 15 – Los Angeles
 
  Brazil0
 
  United States0
 
February 12 – Los Angeles
 
  Mexico1
 
  Jamaica0
 
 
  Mexico (a.s.d.e.t.)1
 
Third place play-off
 
 
February 15 – Los Angeles
 
 
  Brazil1
 
 
  Jamaica0

Semi-finals

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United States  1–0  Brazil
Report

Jamaica  0–1 (a.e.t./g.g.)  Mexico
Report

Third place play-off

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Brazil  1–0  Jamaica
Report

Final

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United States  0–1  Mexico
Report

Statistics

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Goalscorers

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There were 44 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 2.75 goals per match.

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Awards

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Most Valuable Player

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Source:[3]

# Player Points
1st   Kasey Keller 32
2nd   Edmundo 30
3rd   Preki 27

Team of the Tournament

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Source:[3]

Gold Cup XI
Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
  Kasey Keller   Claudio Suárez

  Eddie Pope

  Zé Maria

  Ramón Ramírez

  Preki

  Paul Hall

  Cuauhtémoc Blanco

  Edmundo

  Paulo Wanchope

  Romário

References

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  1. ^ Davidson, Neil (November 26, 1997). "Canada looking to play host to group of World Cup finalists". Vancouver Sun. The Canadian Press. p. E7. Retrieved July 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. December 23, 1997. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 1998 - Full Details". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
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