US to play at Kansas City, Kansas, in CONCACAF Gold Cup

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MIAMI (AP) _ The United States will play its three group stage matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Americans open Group B play July 11 against the qualifying winner from among Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guatemala and Guyana, the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football said Thursday.

The U.S. plays Martinique on July 15 and closes the first round against Canada on July 18.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter says he will allow top players to skip the tournament and will go with what is in effect his junior varsity roster.

If the U.S. wins Group B, it would play a quarterfinal at Arlington, Texas, on July 25

The semifinals will be in Austin, Texas, and Houston on July 29 and the final at Las Vegas on Aug. 1.

CONCACAF said it will announce after the group stage which pairing will be at each semifinal site.

Berhalter will use his top players for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Honduras at Denver on June 3 and the championship or third-place place on June 6, against Mexico or Costa Rica. Top players will return for the start of World Cup qualifying on Sept. 2.

Defending champion Mexico opens Group A at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 10 against the winner of qualifying among Trinidad and Tobago, Monserrat, Cuba and French Guyana. Mexico plays Curacao on July 14 and El Salvador on July 18, both at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.