Gold Cup 2013 Schedule: Top Matches to Watch in Group Stage

In what is normally a dead period for soccer, fans will be treated to a number of exciting matches over the next few weeks in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

This event pits the 12 best teams from the region against each other in a fight to see who is the best squad in North and Central America. The winner will have a playoff against the 2015 champion to see who gets to participate in the next Confederations Cup.

Even though many of the top competitors from each squad were left out of the event, there is certain to be plenty of exciting action in each group.

Here is a look at the complete schedule of the event, followed by highlights of matches you absolutely do not want to miss.

Full Schedule (via CONCACAF.com)

Date	Match	Time (ET)
July 7	Canada vs. Martinique	5:30 p.m.
July 7	Mexico vs. Panama	8 p.m.
July 8	El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago	7 p.m.
July 8	Haiti vs. Honduras	9:30 p.m.
July 9	Costa Rica vs. Cuba	8:30 p.m.
July 9	Belize vs. United States	11 p.m.
July 11	Panama vs. Martinique	8:30 p.m.
July 11	Mexico vs. Canada	11 p.m.
July 12	Trinidad and Tobago vs. Haiti	7 p.m.
July 12	Honduras vs. El Salvador	9:30 p.m.
July 13	United States vs. Cuba	3:30 p.m.
July 13	Costa Rica vs. Belize	6 p.m.
July 14	Martinique vs. Mexico	3:30 p.m.
July 14	Panama vs. Canada	6 p.m.
July 15	El Salvador vs. Haiti	7 p.m.
July 15	Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago	9:30 p.m.
July 16	Cuba vs. Belize	5:30 p.m.
July 16	United States vs. Costa Rica	8 p.m.
July 20	Quarterfinals TBD	3 p.m.
July 20	Quarterfinals TBD	6 p.m.
July 21	Quarterfinals TBD	4 p.m.
July 21	Quarterfinals TBD	7 p.m.
July 24	Semifinals TBD	7 p.m.
July 24	Semifinals TBD	10 p.m.
July 28	Final TBD	4 p.m.

Matches to Watch

Mexico vs. Panama (July 7 at 8 p.m.)

Group A is certain to be one of the more competitive regions, with Mexico fielding a younger squad and Panama and Canada challenging for a group win. However, this match is going to go a long way in deciding who advances to the knockout stage.

Mexico has a great defense and knows how to control the ball, but it will have a hard time scoring without Giovani dos Santos and Javier Hernandez. It will need one of the younger stars on the roster to step up in the final third.

This will certainly be a challenge against Panama, who are full of talented players capable of scoring at any moment. If Mexico is not careful, it will suffer an early loss in this tournament. 

Honduras vs. Haiti (July 8 at 9:30 p.m.)

Throughout World Cup qualifying, Honduras has proven that it is clearly one of the top teams in the region. However, there is a big difference between being among the best and being the best, and this tournament can help make a big jump toward reaching the top.

However, Haiti has played extremely well in recent weeks against some of the best teams in the world. After losing only 2-1 to Spain in a friendly match, the team earned a 2-2 draw against Italy.

If the team is able to play with the same energy at the Gold Cup, it will have the ability to make a deep run in the competition. Stealing at least a point in the opening match against Honduras will go a long way toward advancing at least to the knockout stage.

United States vs. Costa Rica (July 16 at 8 p.m.)

The last time these two teams played, the United States escaped with a 1-0 win in a blizzard. Costa Rica were clearly unhappy with the outcome and are looking to get some revenge.

Even if the players on the pitch are different, the visiting squad will get plenty of satisfaction if they are able to knock off the Americans and possibly challenge for a tournament title.

For the United States, there are a number of veteran stars looking to earn a permanent spot on the national team's roster. Landon Donovan has proven himself time and again with the squad, but he must continue to show that he can be an effective contributor. 

Either way, these are two of the best teams in the competition. Not only will this be an exciting match to watch in the group stage, but it might end up being a preview to the finals a few days later.

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