Canada should play in the Central American Cup to qualify for Gold Cup

Canada should play in the Central American Cup!

Central American Cup
Group A	Group B
Costa Rica	Panama
El Salvador	Honduras
Canada	Guatemala
Belize	Nicaragua

            The Central American Cup is lacking since it only has 7 nations playing in the tournament.  7 nations create an odd group of only 3 nations. The group needs a 4^th team to complete the group. I believe they should invite Canada to participate. This would finally complete the odd group of 3. This will not give the advantage anymore to the winner of the 3 team group. This group always plays one less game than the other group. Adding Canada will also give the tournament more exposure to Canada market and have CA nations play against fast, athletic and physical team.

 Canada should offer their guaranteed Gold Cup slot as bait. Presently the CA Cup places the 4 top teams in the Gold Cup. The 5^th place team plays the 5^th Caribbean Cup team for the last Gold Cup spot. If Canada offered their spot, CA Cup would place the 5 top teams from the tournament directly into the Gold Cup. The 6^th place nation can now play the 5ht place Caribbean nation

The tournament could have the top 2 teams in each group earn 4 slots for the Gold Cup. They would play in a knockout round for the Central American Championship just as it is now, so nothing would change here. The bottom 4 teams would now get to also play in a 4 team knockout round for something. The Champion of this runner up knockout bracket would get the last automatic Gold Cup spot offered to Canada. Group A 3^rd place plays Group B’s 4^th place and Group B’s 3^rd place plays Group A’s 4^th place finisher. The loser of this consolation round would play the 5^th place Caribbean nations for the last spot for the Gold Cup.

This is good for all Central American nations in the fact they all, now get to play at least 4 competitive games for every nation. The other 4 nation will play 5 competitive games. This is the big allure to add an 8^th nation to this tournament. The last Central American Cups the group of 3 losers (Nicaragua) only got 2 competitive games.  Belize was the loser of the other group only got 3 competitive games.  2 and 3 games are just not enough to develop your national team. 4 and 5 games are  much better that 2 or 3 games, especially when you bring your team to another country. Adding Canada will increase the competition and allow the badly needed games.  All nations would get 4 competitive games and the other 4 would get 5.

Good for Canada

            First of all Canada badly needs competitive national team games. They just do not get enough. Playing in another tournament to warm up for the Gold Cup is a great idea. Playing against teams that are about your equal is even better. The Central American Cup is a perfect tournament that Canada should play in. These teams are great with the soccer ball at their feet. They do not panic with the ball and are skillful dribblers. Canada is usually bigger, faster and more athletic however they need this type of competition to sharpen their skills. This tournament would provide 4 to 5 very competitive games that mean something. Friendlies against Iceland, Moldova and Bulgaria are just not the same.  

            As for the Gold Cup, Canada shouldn’t just get an automatic bid; they should have to qualify for it. Entering the CA Cup would solve this issue. Canada did not advance out of the group stage in the 2011, 2013 or 2015 Gold Cups. This left Canada with only 3 competitive games for those 3 years, for their national team. The 2009 Gold Cup was only one better they advanced but lost in the opening game of the knockout round, thus playing in only 4 competitive games in 2009. This give the Canadian faithful an empty feeling after only watching your national team play only 3 games. Playing in the Central American Cup as a guest would provide the Canadian faithful with a nice competitive tournament before the Gold Cup. They will be guarantee to play 4 games (3 group games- and at least 1 knockout). Since Canada doesn’t make the World Cup, a tournament like this would do great to raise the interest of the sport in Canada.

            I think Canada should offer their guaranteed slot to the Central American Cup to entice the nations (tournament) to invite them.  As for those of you who say this is crazy, why miss out on the Gold Cup….I say if Canada cannot get at least 5^th place in the Central American Cup then they don’t deserve to go anyway. Here is my example. Canada is in a group with Costa Rica, El Salvador and Belize. Canada loses to Costa Rica, ties El Salvador and beats Belize. This gave Canada 3 competitive games. Canada loses out to El Salvador on a tie breaker because El Salvador scored more goals. Canada benefited from playing 3 competitive games away from home. Canada is put into the runner- up bracket with Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Canada beats the 4^th place finisher Nicaragua and then beats Guatemala for the last Gold Cup guaranteed spot. Now lets say that Canada loses the 5^th play spot, this could even be more beneficial to Canada. Canada would then have to play 2 more play-off games against the 5^th place Caribbean nation. Lets say Canada has to face Trinidad and Tobago. I believe either way this is more beneficial to Canada win or lose. This process would give Canada 5 Central American Cup games and 2 play off game. That is  7 competitive games the year of the Gold Cup. Competitive games lite these are the best way to prepare any nation to develop their players. If they qualify through this process they will be much more prepared for the Gold Cup. For those who say why risk it…I say if Canada can’t beat the 5^th place Central American or the 5^th place Caribbean nation…then you suck anyway and don’t deserve to go to the Gold Cup