1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
| CONCACAF Championship | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | United States |
| Dates | February 1 – February 15 |
| Teams | 10 (from 2 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 3 (in 3 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
 Mexico (6th title)
|
| Runners-up |  United States |
| Third place |  Brazil |
| Fourth place |  Jamaica |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 44 (2.75 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
Luis Hernández Paulo Wanchope(4 goals each) |
| Best player |
Kasey Keller
|
The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the Association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
The tournament was once again held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and Oakland. The format of the tournament changed from 1996: it was expanded to ten teams, with four in Group A and three each in Groups B and C. The top team in each group, plus the second place in Group A would advance to the semifinals. Brazil was invited again, and brought their senior team this time.
Jamaica, getting ready for the 1998 World Cup, pulled the stunner of the first round. They did not originally qualify for the tournament, but Canada withdrew, granting them a spot. Jamaica then topped Group A over Brazil (they tied the South Americans 0–0). In the semi-finals, the United States beat Brazil, as Preki scored the lone goal and Kasey Keller preserved the clean sheet. The United States could not repeat that performance in front of a pro-Mexican final crowd in Los Angeles. Mexico won their third straight Gold Cup, 1–0, on a Luis Hernández goal.
(1) Canada withdrew and was replaced by Jamaica.
A playoff between Cuba, the runner-up from the 1996 Caribbean Cup and Saint Kitts and Nevis, the runner-up from the 1997 Caribbean Cup, was held to determine which nation would qualify for the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
...
Wikipedia