Team Terry, Mining for Gold

While our bids for future World Cup competitions are marinating somewhere, Team Terry went prospecting for gold.  The CONCACAF Gold Cup, that is.  CONCACAF is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and it is one of six continental confederations in the FIFA family.

Gold Cup occurs the year before and after World Cup, and two years before FIFA Confederations Cup, which will be in Brazil in 2013.   They are all qualifiers for the quadrennial showdown in some way or another.

The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21st CONCACAF regional championship overall.  A host nation for the Gold Cup has not yet been announced, so Terry and the Ravens are in the hunt -- not for the final match, but for one of the qualifying rounds.  This would work into other stadium complex uses much better, and is potentially more lucrative because it involves a longer stay for the teams and use of practice facilities.

In 2009, the Gold Cup series was held in the United States.  RFK in Washington was selected for an early round and hosted a double header on July 8th.

I'm learning that the world of international soccer offers many opportunities to bring top teams to Maryland, whether they be these continental tournaments, or barnstorming "friendlies."  As interest in soccer continues to grow, OSM and our partners will keep pursuing them.