Sports
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup: What To Know Before You Go
Team USA will be one of four teams appearing at Raymond James Stadium during pool play.

TAMPA, FL – Four of the top soccer teams – including Team USA – in the North American region will head to Tampa next week.
Tampa will play host to two games during the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Culp pool play. The tournament, which takes place every two years, determines the continental champion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Here’s what soccer fans need to know before you go to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Culp games in Tampa:
Find out what's happening in Tampafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Date and Time
The two 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup games in Tampa are set to take place Wednesday, July 12 starting at 6:30 p.m. Stadium gates open at 4:30 p.m.
Location
The games will take place at Raymond James Stadium, located at 4201 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.
Find out what's happening in Tampafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Tickets
As of Thursday, July 6, tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.GoldCup.org or at the Raymond James Stadium box office at the following dates and times:
- Saturday, July 8 to Tuesday, July 11: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 12: 10 a.m. to the end of the event
Parking and Ride Sharing
All parking lots will open at 3:30 p.m. except for Lot 6, which will open at 10 a.m. For parking lot locations, visit www.raymondjamesstadium.com/parking.
The ride sharing (Uber and Lyft) drop-off area is located at the Mass Transit Drop-off. The pick-up area is located at Steinbrenner Field, across Dale Mabry Highway. Stadium officials ask ride sharing users to take the pedestrian bridge next to the Mass Transit area to cross the road.
Teams
The four teams representing Group B that will play in Tampa are:
- 6:30 p.m.: Panama vs. Nicaragua
- 8:30 p.m.: Team USA vs. Martinique
The teams are scheduled to play their first matches on Saturday, July 8 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The teams will wrap up pool play on Saturday, July 15 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The top two teams in Group B, based on points, will advanced to the elimination round.
Football Fiesta
Raymond James Stadium will host a pre-game Football Fiesta, an interactive area located in Lot 6D for fans. The event will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. and is free of charge.
Clear Bag Policy
Raymond James Stadium will have its clear bag policy in effect:

CONCACAF Gold Cup Prohibited Items
CONCACAF prohibits the following items in its matches:
- Bags that do not comply with the clear bag policy
- Weapons of any kind, including knives, pepper spray, stun guns, concealed weapons and firearms (except those required by Florida Law or the Licensee admission policy)
- Fireworks, including flares, smoke bombs, incendiary devices and pyrotechnics
- Illegal drugs or harmful chemicals (except prescription medicine)
- Any missile or projectile-like objects, including beach balls, beverages with caps and seat cushions
- Aerosol cans or pressurized containers
- Professional camera equipment longer than 12 inches, including body, lens and filter, tripods, battery packs, or large commercial video cameras
- Any other items deemed to be inappropriate or dangerous by the person responsible for safety/security at the venue
- Laser pointers
- Remote-controlled aircraft or unmanned aircraft systems (drones)
- Selfie sticks or poles
- Hoverboards, skates, skateboards, skate-shoes, all cycles and Segways
- Noisemakers such as vuvuzelas, whistles and air horns
For additional prohibited items not permitted into the stadium, go to www.raymondjamesstadium.com/stadium-fan-policies.
For more information, visit http://www.goldcup.org/en.
Image via Shutterstock
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.