Gold Cup Roster Round-Up; Davis to play for USMNT

The finalized 23-man rosters that will compete in this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament have been released and four players are expected to miss several upcoming Houston Dynamo matches. Those who made the final rosters (cut down from a 35-man provisional squad) include Brad Davis (USA), Boniek Garcia (Honduras), Giles Barnes (Jamaica), and Jermaine Taylor (Jamaica). DaMarcus Beasley, on account of making the USA's provisional roster, is available after the group stage should head coach Jurgen Klinsmann determine squad changes are necessary (such as in the event of injury).

Boniek Garcia has already joined the Honduran national team for an early training camp while Luis Garrido, who was not called in, will be available to the Dynamo for the month of July. Giles Barnes and Jermaine Taylor have returned from Jamaica's Copa America assignment but are likely to leave after the weekend's match against Dallas to attend the Gold Cup.

Teams will begin arriving for training camps next Monday, June 29th ahead of the tournament's official kickoff on Tuesday, July 7th. The group stage of the tournament, which runs through July 15th, will ensure that called-up Dynamo players will miss MLS matches against Colorado (6/30), Chicago (7/3), and San Jose (7/10). Teams advancing into the knockout rounds could result in Houston players also missing Real Salt Lake (7/18) and LA Galaxy (7/25). The teams featuring Dynamo players (USA, Honduras, and Jamaica) are very likely to advance into the knockout stages of the tournament.

Brad Davis, after serving a role in the 2014 World Cup campaign, was named to the finalized roster and will join a crowded midfield boasting with the likes of Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Mix Diskerud, and Alejandro Bedoya. The Dynamo captain should remain in Houston until after the FC Dallas match this weekend. DaMarcus Beasley, despite coming out of retirement for the provisional call-up, was left off the final roster and will remain with Houston for the first few weeks of July. With Beasley making the provisional roster, he remains eligible for selection should the USMNT advance to the knockout stage. If Beasley plays, he will be appearing in his fifth Gold Cup.

In related news, Cubo Torres, who missed out on Mexico's Copa America and Gold Cup squads, saw his final opportunity to wear the Mexico shirt this summer fade away. The Pan Am games, an Olympics-style tournament in Toronto that runs through July, features a Mexico squad built on youth and burgeoning talent. Cubo, despite decent play for El Tri in the previous year, has been left off the roster headed to Canada. According to Futbol Total's Eric Gomez, his absence is related to the ongoing sexual assault investigation in Mexico. That should leave Cubo free this summer to debut for the Dynamo at San Jose on July 10th, barring any potential work visa issues.

Dynamo Theory will be providing live coverage for next month's USA/Honduras match in Dallas on July 7th and Canada/Jamaica in Houston on July 11th. Stay tuned for more details.

For a look at full Gold Cup rosters, follow this link.