Gold Cup 2015: Latest Group Results, Tables and Schedule After USA vs. Honduras

A Clint Dempsey brace helped the United States grab three points in their opening game at the 2015 Gold Cup, but it wasn’t plain sailing for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side in a nervy 2-1 win over Honduras.

Carlos Discua halved the deficit just four minutes after the Seattle Sounders star had notched his second of the game, triggering a nervy finish at the Toyota Stadium. But the USMNT clung on to get their tournament underway in the best possible fashion and move top of Group A in the process.

Here’s a look at the updated standings following that encounter, a recap of some of the key moments from the USMNT’s win and a glance ahead to some of the games to come.

Position	Team	Pl	W	D	L	GD	P
Group A
1	United States	1	1	0	0	1	3
2	Panama	1	0	1	0	0	1
3	Haiti	1	0	1	0	0	1
4	Honduras	1	0	0	1	-1	0
Group B
1	Costa Rica	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	El Salvador	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Jamaica	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0
Group C
1	Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Guatemala	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Trinidad and Tobago	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Cuba	0	0	0	0	0	0

Standings courtesy of CONCACAF.com.

Dempsey Does it Again for USMNT

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Although his domestic campaign has been up and down this season, Dempsey continues to be a talismanic figure for the United States. And in a nervy opener, he showcased his tremendous goalscoring instincts to help the pre-tournament favourites get off to an ideal start.

As we can see here courtesy of Ben Jata of American Soccer Now, the razor-sharp reflexes of the Seattle striker were there for all to see as he nodded the USMNT into a crucial lead:

Against an obdurate Honduras side getting that buffer was crucial for the United States. It allowed Klinsmann’s men to keep the ball for long spells in the game, ensuring their CONCACAF opponents remained at arm's length with their superior technical ability.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Nonetheless, they were unable to find the incision required to get past their well organised opposition in open play. So it was left to some more set-piece ingenuity and more dreadful defending from a dead-ball situation from Honduras for the United States to double their lead.

It was Dempsey again arriving at the back post to head home, giving him yet another multi-goal game for his country, per Paul Carr of ESPN:

Honduras did put together a late rally after Discua’s fine goal four minutes later, but the United States showed their solidity to see out the win. While this wasn’t exactly a free-flowing performance from the USMNT, this, on paper at least, looked to be their toughest match in the group stages.

Chris Covatta/Getty Images

Having gotten the better of some potentially problematic opposition, they can now look forward to clashes against Haiti and Panama, who drew 1-1 earlier on Tuesday; games in which Klinsmann will be hoping his side can discover their attacking swagger.

Wednesday, July 8—Fixtures

Kickoff Time (ET)	Fixture	Venue
8 p.m.	Costa Rica vs. Jamaica	StubHub Center, Los Angeles
10:30 p.m.	El Salvador vs. Canada	StubHub Center, Los Angeles

World Cup surprise package Costa Rica will get their competition underway in earnest at the StubHub Center, when they face an intriguing and entertaining Jamaica team.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Los Ticos thrilled us all in Brazil 12 months ago with some exceptional performances on the biggest football stage. They made it all the way to the quarter-finals before losing on penalties against the Dutch and manager Paulo Wanchope will be hoping his players, enriched by that experience, can put together a strong run in the Gold Cup.

The other Group B clash will see co-hosts Canada get their tournament underway, as they gear up for a winnable clash against El Salvador.

Both of these sides are big underdogs for this prestigious title, but an early win would put either side in an excellent position to make it into the knockout stages.