Costa Rica Vs. Cuba: When And Where To Watch Gold Cup Match; Preview [LIVE STREAM]

With the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup in full swing, Costa Rica and Cuba are set to make their Group C debuts.

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Costa Rica will surely be looked upon as one of the favorites in the group along with the United States and while a tough test will come in the form of Cuba to open their tournament schedule, the Costa Rican nationals will surely use the next 3 weeks to shape up heading into the resumption of World Cup qualifying.

When and Where to Watch Gold Cup Match

Costa Rica and Cuba are set to meet on Tuesday, July 9th at 8:30pm, EST from Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon. Television coverage will be provided by the FOX Soccer Channel along with the UniMas network.

Those choosing to watch the match on-line can do so by visiting FOX Soccer 2 Go.

Match Preview

While there are certainly a number of talented team's in this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup, the most pleasant addition to the field may be the Cuban national team.

Recently celebrating the nation's 100th anniversary of football in 2011, CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb noted how pleased the tournament is to have Cuba as a competitor once again since football in Cuba continues to grow on a daily basis.

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"The progress of Cuban football on and off the field has been remarkable," Webb said while visiting Cuba. "The men's national team won its first Caribbean title last year and it has qualified for six of the last seven CONCACAF Gold Cups. Football has a long and rich history on the island and I'm delighted that we are here to recognize its many achievements."

Head coach Walter Benitez guides a team that is short on Major League Soccer experience but does have familiarity with this tournament. Cuba makes its sixth appearance in the Gold Cup and if they're to be successful this time around, midfielder Ariel Martinez will need to continue his strong offensive play.

Martinez was the leading scorer in Cuba's road to the Caribbean Cup championship and along with strong goaltending from veteran Odelin Molina, Cuba certainly possesses a significant level of talent capable of competing in Group C along with Costa Rica, the USMNT and Belize.

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As Cuba looks to ride the potential success of 2 players, Costa Rica will put their Gold Cup title hopes on their tremendous experience.

Alvaro Saborio will be playing on his home turf since he's a member of MLS club Real Salt Lake and as one of the leading scorers in Costa Rican history, the 31-year-old forward and club head coach Jorge Luis Pinto know a strong effort will be needed if the team hopes to build on a five-game unbeaten streak and claim Costa Rica's first Gold Cup championship.

"You have to fight for it. Our goal is to achieve top rankings, that is our commitment, our desire, our fight and we're working," Pinto told CONCACAF.com's Dylan Butler. "Whoever thinks otherwise you must leave this place to another. The competition is different, but it helps us to see players competing."

The lone downfall for Costa Rica in this event could be the goalkeeping situation. Regular starter Keylor Navas is not present for the Gold Cup and the trio of goalies on the active roster - Luis Torres, Leonel Moreira and Patrick Pemberton - lack substantial international experience.

Wrap Up

Starting their Gold Cup campaigns in what should be an interesting match, Costa Rica and Cuba will meet on Tuesday, July 9th at 8:30pm, EST. Television coverage will be offered by the FOX Soccer Channel and the UniMas Network while an on-line live stream can be viewed through Fox Soccer 2 Go.