A primer on the CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer matches July 12 in Tampa

By Daniel O'Boyle, Times Staff Writer, Friday, July 7, 2017 5:00am, http://www.tampabay.com/sports...-12-in-tampa/2329589

U.S. Men's National Team soccer players warm up before a training session at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. The U.S. team opens the Gold Cup tournament against Panama on Wednesday, July 8 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

It's not the catchiest name, but it's more or less what it sounds like — a collection of all of the national soccer federations from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The Gold Cup is CONCACAF's flagship competition and is intended to determine the best international team in the region.

The U.S. is a five-time champion

Mexico is the most successful team in Gold Cup history with six titles, but the U.S. has a chance to take that title this year. The U.S. has finished second four times, more often than any other team, and last won the competition in 2013. Mexico won the last CONCACAF in 2015, when the U.S. lost in the semifinals 2-1 to Jamaica.

It's held every two years, more or less

The tournament was held on odd-numbered years when it started in 1991, then switched to even years from 1996-2002, and now it's back to odd ones. Before 1991, teams competed in the CONCACAF Championship, which took place over six months and didn't have a fixed location.

A very loose CONCACAF

Remember, it stands for Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. So all of he countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean come together have a soccer tournament. Well, they're not all really countries; some are dependent regions of France. Including French Guiana, which is definitely in South America. And there used to be guest teams from other regions like Brazil, Ecuador and South Korea, but not anymore.

Landon Donovan is the all-time Gold Cup scoring leader

Donovan, who retired from international soccer in 2014, is the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S. men's national team and consistently came up with goals in the Gold Cup (18 goals). Donovan appeared in six tournaments and scored in each of them, including a penalty in the 2007 final, which the U.S. won 2-1. Clint Dempsey is second with 12 goals.

There's a new U.S. head coach (sort of)

Former head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was removed from his job in November. Instead of a brand new coach, however, the U.S. Soccer Federation chose to go back to a familiar face, Bruce Arena, who coached the team from 1998- 2006. Arena has Gold Cup experience, winning it twice as well as guiding the U.S. to its best World Cup performance since 1930.

Confederation. of. North. Central. America. and. Caribbean. Association. Football. CONCACAF.

It's easier to say than South America's CONMEBOL, at least.

The US team isn't full strength, but still has some star power

Eighteen-year-old prodigy Christian Pulisic, already a proven star on the international level, will be absent, as will many other big names including Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley and DeAndre Yedlin, as Arena's main focus is still World Cup qualification. But with a squad including Brad Guzan, Omar Gonzalez, and Jordan Morris, the team still includes both talent and experience.

The US is in a group with Martinique, Panama and Nicaragua

Panama, finalists in 2013 and semifinalists in 2011 and 2015, will be the biggest threat to the U.S. in the group stage, having drawn 1-1 with the U.S. in a World Cup qualifier in March. Martinique and Nicaragua were the lowest-placed qualifying teams, with Martinique appearing at the Gold Cup for the fifth time and Nicaragua playing for the first time since 2009 and second time ever.

There's been some recent Gold Cup controversy

CONCACAF is an international soccer governing body with a a shady history. In 2015, eight former CONCACAF officials, including three former presidents, were indicted as part of the FBI's probe into corruption in soccer. That year, controversy appeared on the field too, with Mexico advancing past Panama and to the final thanks to a first-half red card and a final-minute penalty call that referee Mark Geiger later admitted were wrong decisions.