Defend the Cup
FC Dallas' Frisco stadium scores 2015 Gold Cup kickoff with U.S. Men's National Team
The U.S. Men's National Team is returning to Toyota Stadium for the first time in eight years to kick off next summer's 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. The home pitch of FC Dallas was named one of 13 host sites in the United States and Canada.
The three-week, biennial tournament begins July 7, 2015, with the Frisco stadium hosting the USMNT as part of a doubleheader featuring the four teams from Group A. So far, the entire groups have not been announced, but the U.S., Costa Rica and Mexico were named the top seeds of groups A, B and C based on current FIFA rankings.
"It's a great stadium, and there's a tremendous tradition for soccer in the area, so we're hoping to get huge support from all our fans," said USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
The 12-team tournament features the top squads from CONCACAF, a confederation of North American, Central American and Caribbean countries.
USMNT's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann lauded Toyota Stadium and North Texas' long soccer history in a statement released December 16.
"We are thrilled to play our opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Frisco," Klinsmann said. "Winning the tournament is the No. 1 priority for the senior National Team in 2015, so it's important that we get started on the right foot. It's a great stadium, and there's a tremendous tradition for soccer in the area, so we're hoping to get huge support from all our fans."
Toyota Stadium previously hosted the USMNT in 2006 and 2007 in two friendlies against Guatemala. It also hosted a sold-out crowd for the USWNT's performance against Canada in early 2014.
The men's squad is coming off a round of 16 performance in the 2014 World Cup in which it lost to Belgium in extra time after placing second in the "Group of Death" behind eventual cup winners Germany. It is also the defending Gold Cup champion after beating Panama in the finals in 2013.
Other Gold Cup host cities include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Toronto.
