CINCINNATI – Five FC Cincinnati players were called up to represent their respective national teams in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. Darren Mattocks and Alvas Powell have been called in to Jamaica, Allan Cruz and Kendall Waston have been called in to Costa Rica and Emery Welshman has been called in to Guyana.
The 2019 Gold Cup will be contested in the United States, with select group stage matches to be played in Costa Rica and Jamaica for the first time.. The tournament will begin with a pair of group stage matches at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on June 15 and will run through July 7 – when the Gold Cup Final will be held at Soldier Field in Chicago
Mattocks has earned 47 caps and has scored 17 goals for Jamaica. Prior to this year’s competition, Mattocks represented the Reggae Boyz in the 2015 and 2017 Gold Cups. With FC Cincinnati, Mattocks has scored two goals and has added two assists in 13 appearances this season.
Powell has earned 38 caps for Jamaica. Like Mattocks, the defender also represented Jamaica in the 2015 and 2017 Gold Cups. With FC Cincinnati, Powell has made nine appearances, including seven starts, this season.
Cruz has earned 10 caps and has scored one goal for Costa Rica. The Gold Cup will be Cruz’s first major international competition with the Ticos. With FC Cincinnati, Cruz has scored two goals and has added two assists in nine appearances this season.
Waston has earned 33 caps and has scored six goals for Costa Rica. FC Cincinnati’s captain represented Costa Rica during the 2013 and 2017 Gold Cups. With FC Cincinnati, Waston has made 12 appearances, all starts, and has scored one goal this season.
Welshman has earned nine caps and has scored seven goals for Guyana. The forward – currently on loan with the Canadian Premier League’s Forge FC – is part of Guyana’s first-ever team to qualify for a Concacaf Gold Cup. With Forge FC, Welshman has scored one goal and has added two assists in six appearances this season. Welshman most recently played for the Golden Jaguars in a Concacaf Nations League qualifier against Belize on March 23.
Jamaica is in Group C, alongside Honduras, El Salvador and Curaçao. The Reggae Boyz will open Gold Cup play on June 17 against Honduras at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaica will then play El Salvador at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on June 21, followed by Curaçao at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on June 25. Prior to the start of the Gold Cup, Mattocks and Powell represented Jamaica in a 1-0 win against the United States in an international friendly at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. last night.
Costa Rica, Haiti, Nicaragua and Bermuda comprise Group B. The Ticos will start their Gold Cup run on June 16 against Nicaragua on home soil at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica. Costa Rica will then play Bermuda at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on June 20, followed by Haiti at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on June 24. Waston and Cruz played in Costa Rica’s 1-0 loss against Peru in an international friendly at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru last night.
Guyana is joined by Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States in Group D. The Golden Jaguars begin group stage play on June 18 against the USMNT at Allianz Field in Minneapolis. Guyana will then play Panama at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on June 22, followed by Trinidad and Tobago at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on June 26.
FC Cincinnati return to the field tonight to face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York. First kick is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised live on WSTR 64, streamed on FloFC (in-region) and ESPN+ (out-of-region), carried on the radio on WDJO with an audio stream on TuneIn (WDJO) and fccincinnati.com.
FCC return to Nippert Stadium on Wednesday, June 12, when the team hosts USL Championship side Louisville City FC in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed nationally on ESPN+. Tickets are specially priced to the club’s 2018 pricing levels as a throw-back with a USL opponent coming back to Cincinnati. After the current Season Ticket Member presale ends, tickets for the game will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5 at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-5425 (KICK). The team’s next MLS regular-season home game is against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, June 22. Pick-Six mini plans, and individual-game tickets and group options are on sale for all remaining games.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati.
