Gold Cup-winning champagne hadn't dried from Mexico's emblematic home jerseys when CONCACAF revealed the date and location of El Tri's imminent return to the United States.
A press release issued Sunday confirmed a Mexico-U.S. one-game playoff to decide who will represent CONCACAF in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. As if the governing body anticipated the matchup, they selected California's historic Rose Bowl -located within minutes of Los Angeles' Latino-heavy population - for the Oct. 9 match.
Two years ago, CONCACAF decided it would pit 2013 and 2015 Gold Cup winners against each other as a way of giving equal worth to each champion; before then, only one winner or the conference's highest-ranked team would advance. While they would never admit it, having the USMNT and Mexico's national team compete was always the goal. It only makes sense to showcase the passionate rivalry in a venue both fan bases could easily attend, even if a majority of attendees aren't behind the Stars and Stripes.
The U.S. flopped in back-to-back losses to Panama and Jamaica, respectively, en route to a fourth-place finish in this year's tournament. Had they won a second consecutive Gold Cup, a playoff wouldn't be necessary. Instead, they saw the Mexicans controversially advance through quarter and semifinal matched before manhandling the Jamaicans on Sunday, 3-1.
The Confederations Cup may not be the World Cup, but it will include defending champion German, other confederation wins, and Russia, the host country for the 2018 World Cup. If anything, October's meeting is a dress rehearsal for much bigger competition ahead.
Tickets for the U.S.-Mexico playoff will be made available in September; though an official date has not been announced.
As for concerns that the Rose Bowl will be engulfed in red, green, and white, CONCACAF made it a point to evenly distribute the passes, stating "Participating member associations and support groups will have access to purchase tickets in advance of the public sale."
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