The reigning champions from the United States look vulnerable, with a Mexico B team looking capable of securing the Gold Cup title.
The 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup is lacking some of the appeal of past competitions, with several top nations going through transition periods, and perennial title favorite Mexico playing without many of its top stars.
That isn't stopping Tata Martino's men from entering the tournament as the favorites to win an eighth Gold Cup title, and El Tri's first since 2015. The United States enters as defending champion after lifting the title in 2017, but Gregg Berhalter enters his first Gold Cup with plenty oc questions surrounding the American squad.
Jamaica has spoiled the chances for a USA-Mexico final in each of the past two Gold Cups, but the Reggae Boyz could be ready to go beyond being spoilers now that Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey is in the field. With Bailey scoring goals, and Jamaica's tough defense working in front of standout goalkeeper Andre Blake, Jamaica could win its first Gold Cup title.
It's been 19 years since Canada won a surprising Gold Cup title in 2000, but this could be the year we see the Canadians make a deep run. Boasting Alphonso Davies and Cyle Larin in attack, along with Atiba Hutchinson in midfield, the Canucks have the talent to be a handful.
Costa Rica is a perennial threat, but with no Keylor Navas, and with the nucleus of its to players reaching the tail-end of their careers, the Ticos look much less threatening than in year's past.
How does the Gold Cup field shape up heading into the 2019 tournament? Here is a look at how all 16 teams rank.
1Guyana
FIFA Ranking: 177th
Best Gold Cup finish: First Gold Cup
Players to Watch: Callum Harriott, Matthew Briggs, Michael Johnson, Emery Welshman
Outlook: The Caribbean Gold Cup newcomers find themselves in a very tough group, with an opening match against the host U.S. national team. Guyana has some solid players, such as Harriott and Johnson, but simply not enough depth to compete in a stacked group.
Advertisement2Nicaragua
FIFA Ranking: 129th
Best Gold Cup finish: 2017 group stage.
Players to Watch: Juan Barrera, Luis Galeano, Bryan Bonilla, Manuel Rosas
Outlook: It is shaping up to be another rough Gold Cup for the Central Americans, after going 0-3 in 2017. Haiti beat Nicaragua recently in Concacaf Nations League, while Costa Rica is a notch above.
3Cuba
FIFA Ranking: 175
Best Gold Cup finish : 2015 quarterfinals (lost to USA).
Players to Watch: Yordan Santa Cruz, Luis Paradela, Yasmany Lopez, Andy Baquero
Outlook: An impressive run in the early stages of the Concacaf Nations League suggests Cuba is ready to make things tough for opponents at the Gold Cup, but Group A is too strong to see Cuba surviving the group stage, and a last-place finish seems more likely.
4Bermuda
FIFA Ranking: 174th
Best Gold Cup finish: First Gold Cup
Players to Watch: Nahki Wells, Zeiko Lewis, Reggie Thompson-Lambe, Roger Lee
Outlook: Looking for a sleeper that could sneak into the quarterfinals? Bermuda is a good candidate. With a proven scorer in Nahki Wells, Bermuda could set the tone for a surprise run by beating Haiti in its opening match.