El Salvador
Jaime Alas, Midfielder
Alas has 60 international appearances to his credit. He was on the field in both 2011 and 2013 when “La Selecta” made the Gold Cup quarterfinals. The Salvadorians will depend highly on his leadership and experience as they hope to reach the next level this time around.
Panama
Blas Perez, Forward
A 16-year veteran of the Panamanian national team, Perez has 106 caps and 38 international goals on his resume thus making him one of the most experienced players in this entire tournament. Perez has stood the test of time as he was on the field when Panama lost the 2005 Gold Cup title to Team USA, made it to the quarterfinals in both 2007 and 2009, reached the semifinals in 2011, came short against the United States again in 2013. Rest assured he will be ready to lead his country once again this year. Also rest assured that Panama will need him now more than ever.
Curacao
Felitciano Zschusschen and Shanon Carmelia
This small Dutch island is the other nation that’s playing in its first ever Copa de Oro. Zschusschen and Carmelia are the most experienced players on this roster. With a combined 40 caps and 12 goals between them, expect to hear the names of these two men get called quite often as this tournament unfolds.
While Mexico is a heavy favorite to repeat, and Team USA is always expected to make an impact, this year’s Gold Cup should be very competitive considering all of the talent playing from top to bottom.