The U.S. Men's National Team is set to face Mexico in the final of the 2009 edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Giants Stadium on Sunday, July 26. The game will be broadcast live from 3 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel, Univision and the Futbol de Primera Radio Networks.

The mouthwatering final is a showdown between two regional rivals, the two most successful Gold Cup sides of all time (both with four championships), and a rematch of the memorable championship clash from two years ago. The U.S. beat Honduras 2-0 at Soldier Field to book a spot in the final, while Mexico needed a penalty shootout to get by Costa Rica in the same venue.

The meeting is the second of the year between the two rivals as the USA opened the final round of World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win against Mexico on Feb. 11, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. The teams on the field Sunday will be of a much different makeup, but the passion and energy will both be there as each side tries to lift the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record fifth time.
 
U.S. head coach Bob Bradley will have 19 players available for selection against Mexico on Sunday afternoon. For the first time this tournament, there will be no departures or arrivals ahead of the final, and Bradley's team is the exact same one he had at his disposal during the semifinal victory against Honduras. Eighteen of the 19 players have featured in the Gold Cup thus far, with Busch the only player yet to make an appearance.

Javier Aguirre's team has yet to taste defeat in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but they have stumbled to two draws during their progression to the final. After opening with a 2-0 win against Nicaragua, El Tri drew 1-1 with Panama in a game that featured ejections, removals and ultimately a suspension for Aguirre. Mexico rebounded with a well-earned victory against Guadeloupe before going on to thrash Haiti in the quarterfinal. Mexico fought out a tense semifinal game with Costa Rica, taking the lead late only to give up an injury time goal to send the game into an extra period. The teams couldn't be separated after 30 more minutes, and Mexico needed a penalty shootout to secure a place in its sixth Gold Cup Final. Guillermo Ochoa was the hero for Mexico, stopping Froylan Ledezma's penalty to provide the crucial breakthrough in the shootout.

The teams have met four times in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and are deadlocked with a 2-2-0 record. Three of those meeting have come in the final of the tournament, with Mexico winning in 1993 and 1998. The USA erased part of the deficit in the 2007 Gold Cup Final with a memorable come-from-behind victory against El Tri at Soldier Field. The U.S. also won the first ever Gold Cup meeting between the two sides, a 1991 semifinal clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

U.S. Men’s National Team Roster – Gold Cup Final

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF),

DEFENDERS (6): Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (Out of Contract)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (3): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)

        courtesy of ussoccer.com

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