The likes of USA, Mexico and Jamaica all have players worth keeping an eye out for heading into this year's competition
The CONCACAF regional championship is set to kick off on Saturday, with Mexico and the rest of Group A getting the ball rolling at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Gold Cup will feature the rest of the usual contenders in CONCACAF as well, with the U.S. national team, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Canada, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago all taking part.
And while several of the big-name players are out of action, with the likes of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Keylor Navas, Hirving Lozano, Carlos Vela, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin and Tyler Adams all ruled out, there are still plenty of players worth keeping an eye on this summer.
Below, Goal runs through the top 10 players to watch during the Gold Cup.
Getty ImagesRaul Jimenez | Mexico
Mexico comes into the Gold Cup missing the most firepower up top. In Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano, El Tri has a trio of attacking stars who will not take part this summer.
That leaves much of the attacking onus to fall on the broad shoulders of Raul Jimenez.
The Wolves forward is coming off a fine season in the Premier League, having scored 13 goals as his side finished seventh in the table, and is now being asked to lead the line for his country for the first time.
Even missing so many stars, Mexico will be favored to win the tournament, but Jimenez providing goals will be crucial for Tata Martino's side.
AdvertisementGettyChristian Pulisic | USA
The expectations for the U.S. national team will be to compete for the title in the Gold Cup. USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has said as much.
For that to happen, Pulisic will have to be at his absolute best this summer.
The USA comes into the competition on the back of two bad losses in friendly, missing a number of key players across the backline and still lacking a real identity with Berhalter having only coached six matches.
The Gold Cup represents the first competitive action for the USA since that fateful night in 2017 when the side lost to Trinidad & Tobago. That night, Pulisic walked off the pitch in tears. He was already being asked to carry much of the attacking load then, probably more than the then teenager was ready to take on.
Now, with two more years of high-level club football in the Bundesliga under his belt and a move to Chelsea looming, he'll be asked to do even more.
Getty ImagesLeon Bailey | Jamaica
The Bayer Leverkusen winger is an impressive talent who has made quite the mark in the Bundesliga, though he has yet to make any kind of mark on the international scene.
A 21-year-old with world-class talent, Bailey has yet to play a single match for Jamaica but is expected to debut and play a major role over the next month. The Reggae Boyz are not lacking talent. With Bailey, they could be a real contender for the crown.
Questions remain about where he will fit in with Jamaica and how quickly he can adjust to the style of play, but there is no doubt that he is worth keeping an eye on this summer.
GettyAlphonso Davies | Canada
If you're looking for exciting talent, Alphonso Davies is your guy.
Finding playing time at Bayern Munich after making the jump from MLS was always going to be difficult for a player joining the club in the winter and that proved to be the case for Davies.
He'll be back in his comfort zone with Canada, playing for a side that looks to be very much on the rise and playing against familiar opponents. What's more, Davies isn't coming off a long grind of a season and should have fresh legs, which should mean plenty of trouble for opposition defenders.