The twelve teams vying for regional supremacy and half a ticket to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup choose their Final 23

MIAMI, FL (Friday, June 28, 2013) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) unveiled today the final rosters submitted by the National Teams participating in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This year’s competition for the regional crown promises to be an intense one, with established stars and emerging young players alike highlighting the twelve rosters announced today.

In Group A, two-time defending champion Mexico has called in the young Chivas de Guadalajara trio of Marco Fabian, Jorge Enriquez, and Miguel Ponce – all Olympic champions for El Tri. But the champs will have stiff competition in the group from 2011 semifinalist Panama, led by veteran goalkeeper Jaime Penedo — playing in his fifth Gold Cup — as well as Martinique, with veteran striker Frederic Piquionne, and Canada, which brings a young squad stewarded by the experienced Will Johnson and Julian de Guzman.

Group B also promises an intense battle from wire to wire, as Honduras, featuring emerging starlet Andy Najar, faces Central American rival El Salvador for the first time in Gold Cup play. The Salvadorans will count on the goal scoring prowess of Europe-based Rafael Burgos, while Caribbean group rivals Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti bring to the table the striking experience of Kenwyne Jones and the emerging promise of winger Wilde-Donald Guerrier, respectively.

Four-time Gold Cup champion the United States heads up a competitive Group C, and the inclusion of the country’s all-time leading goal scorer Landon Donovan proves that Jurgen Klinsmann’s men are going all out for a fifth title. They’ll have a tough challenge in Costa Rica, currently second in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying largely thanks to goal-scoring form of strikers Jairo Arrieta and Alvaro Saborio, both of whom will turn out for the Ticos in the U.S. this summer. Up-and-coming Cuba, with veteran brothers Jaine and Yoel Colome – both of Cuban club side La Habana, is included in a Group C field rounded out by debutant Belize, which boasts the region’s World Cup qualifying goal scoring leader in forward Deon McCaulay.

To see the complete 23-man rosters announced by each participant, please follow this link.

The champion of the 2013 Gold Cup will qualify for a playoff match to decide which CONCACAF national team will represent the region in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup™. The champion of the 2015 Gold Cup will become the second team to qualify for the single-game playoff, scheduled to take place in the second semester of that same year at a site to be determined. In the case that the same nation emerges victorious at both the 2013 and 2015 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, that team will qualify directly to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Taking place every two years, the Gold Cup has become the region’s most popular soccer event, routinely drawing capacity crowds and millions of TV viewers throughout North, Central America and the Caribbean.

Group matches will take place July 7-16 in nine cities across the U.S. with Quarterfinal matches following on July 20 in Atlanta and July 21 in Baltimore. Semifinal matches will be played July 24 in Arlington, Texas, and the championship is set for Soldier Field in Chicago on July 28.

All games will be broadcast live on TV in the United States. FOX Sports Media Group, for the first time ever, is televising all 25 matches of the event, with three slated to be shown on FOX Sports, including the final on Sunday, July 28 (4:00 PM ET) from historic Soldier Field in Chicago. Long-time broadcast partner Univison will again televise all games on its Spanish-language network platforms with 22 of them on open air channels Univision and UniMas and 3 group stage matches on Univision Deportes.

In addition, Futbol de Primera will broadcast the matches on Spanish-language radio through its more than 100 affiliates in the United States.

For more information, please visit www.GoldCup.org