MIAMI, Florida – For the first time in 28 years, the Concacaf Gold Cup will return to the historic Cotton Bowl of Dallas, Texas this summer at the 2021 Gold Cup.
The Cotton Bowl was one of just two sites during the 1993 tournament, serving as the location for all the matches in Group A involving the United States, Jamaica, Honduras and Panama.
But perhaps most notable was that the Cotton Bowl was where Concacaf legend Carlos Pavon of Honduras made his international debut at the senior team level.
Pavon’s Honduras debut came on July 17, 1993 in the Catrachos’ group stage finale versus the United States, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the U.S.
Nevertheless, it served as the beginning of a memorable international career for Pavon, who scored 56 goals in 101 matches for Honduras.
From that year’s group stage, both the U.S. and Jamaica would advance to the knockout round, where the U.S. faced Costa Rica in a memorable semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
Following a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes, Cle Kooiman scored a Golden Goal in the 103’ to earn the U.S. a 1-0 win and a place in the Final.
The Cotton Bowl has also been the site of numerous international friendlies and hosted six matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including the memorable 3-2 victory for Brazil over the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
At present, the Cotton Bowl has a capacity of 92,100 and is a natural grass surface.
