Gold Cup to open with a double header at Rose Bowl

LOS ANGELES, , CMC- The Rose Bowl, an iconic sporting venue in Los Angeles, will host the opening double header of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup Sunday July 7.

The Rose Bowl has a long history as an international soccer destination and has served five times as the site of the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Defending champions Mexico will feature in the opening matches as they begin the defence of the Gold Cup title it won in front 93,000 fans at the Rose Bowl two years ago.

The venue has hosted the 1984 Olympic final, the 1994 World Cup final, the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals as well as the 2002 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup finals.

“We look forward to an exciting 2013 Gold Cup beginning on July 7th here at the historic Rose Bowl,” said CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb.

“All communities will be united through regional rivalries that generate national pride filled with emotion and passion.”

The Rose Bowl is the only stadium in the world to have hosted both a men’s and women’s World Cup final, plus an Olympic gold medal match.

The Gold Cup features the confederation’s best players from the top 12 nations- Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.

Early bird tickets for the region’s premier tournament were schedule to go on sale Thursday but would be available to the general public next week Tuesday.

The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup groups and schedules will be announced around the middle of next month.