Gold Cup 2013: Highlighting the Most Intriguing Players

Many will dismiss the 2013 Gold Cup as a meaningless tournament featuring players who are merely regular backups for their national teams.

The second half of that statement is generally correct, but the first half is far from true. The Gold Cup features many players who will be using the tournament to boost their credentials with their national team coaches.

The World Cup is only a year away, so coaches will no doubt be looking to see which players could possibly play themselves into a spot on the final squad list.

Here is a player to watch from each of the three groups who could have a huge role to play in his national team going forward.

Group A: Raul Jimenez, Mexico

Raul Jimenez is the only holdover from the Confederations Cup squad for Mexico. He didn't feature very often—only 97 minutes—much to the chagrin of some supporters.

El Tri are a bit of a mess right now. Jose Manuel de la Torre has tried a bunch of different tactics-related and selection-related things, but none of them have worked. He's sending a weaker squad to the Gold Cup, but it's one with a lot of young players who can feature in more important fixtures.

In Jimenez, he has the opportunity to get a player capable of easing the goalscoring burden on Javier Hernandez. The 22-year-old striker scored eight goals in 16 matches for Club America during the Liga MX Clausura.

Jimenez should flourish if given a lot of time on the pitch during the Gold Cup.

Group B: Andy Najar, Honduras

Many American fans are already familiar with the work of Andy Najar. Before his move to Anderlecht, Najar was a major contributor for DC United, recording 10 goals and nine assists in 82 matches. The move to Europe demonstrated the kind of talent Najar possesses.

The 20-year-old midfielder is bound to be a major contributor for Honduras going forward. For now, this is a great introduction to the senior side. He's featured for the team before, but this is an opportunity so far denied to Najar.

Trinidad and Tobago could be a tough team in the group stage, but it's an otherwise easy group, giving Najar plenty of chances to demonstrate his creative ability out wide.

Group C: Jack McInerney, USA

Sure, the United States largely has a "B" squad at the Gold Cup. This tournament can be a great proving ground for a player like Jack McInerney, though.

The 20-year-old striker has been on a fabulous run of form for the Philadelphia Union. In 17 matches, he's scored 10 goals. That has McInerney tied for the lead with Marco Di Vaio and Mike Magee in Major League Soccer.

McInerney has everything to gain from the Gold Cup. With a strong performance, he could earn himself a ticket down to Brazil in a year's time. Striker is not exactly a position of strength for the US, so there's a good chance McInerney can demonstrate he's capable of being an option for Klinsmann.

Even if he has a poor showing, McInerney is young enough that he should get plenty more chances to prove himself, so he should come into the Gold Cup without a ton of pressure.