Getty The United States are in prime position to advance in the Gold Cup.
Things are interesting as we head towards the final group play games in the 2017 Gold Cup. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stages in addition to the top two third-place finishers.
With Panama’s win, the United States already advanced to the knockout stage prior to their match against Nicaragua. There were quite a few scenarios for the U.S. to advance to the knockout round. Here are a few of the top seeding scenarios courtesy of Cleveland.com.
A U.S. win or a draw combined with a Panama loss would have given the United States the group. The U.S. could also win the group with a draw combined with a Panama draw as long as the United States score one more goal than Panama.
A Panama win sent the U.S. through regardless of their own result as they will finish with more points than Martinique.
If Panama and Martinique ended in a draw, the U.S. would have had to await the remaining results if they also lost against Nicaragua. They would be dependent on earning one of the top two third-place spots.
Costa Rica, Canada, Panama and the United States have already punched their ticket to the next round. The United States won Group B based on the goal tiebreaker.
Here’s a look at the current Gold Cup standings courtesy of MLS soccer. Each team’s record is listed in order of wins, losses and draws. Teams that have already clinched a spot for the next round are listed in bold.
Gold Cup Standings 2017
Group A
1. Costa Rica 2-0-1 7 PTS.
2. Canada 1-0-2 5 PTS.
3. Honduras 1-1-1 4 PTS.
4. French Guiana 0-3-0 0 PTS.
Group B
1. United States 2-0-1 7 PTS.
2. Panama 2-0-1 7 PTS.
3. Martinique 1-1-0 3 PTS.
4. Nicaragua 0-2-0 0 PTS.
Group C
1. Mexico 1-0-1 4 PTS.
2. Jamaica 1-0-1 4 PTS.
3. El Salvador 1-1-0 3 PTS.
4. Curacao 0-2-0 0 PTS.