The United States plays their first game in the group stage of the Gold Cup tonight at 9 p.m. versus Guatemala on Fox Soccer Channel.

The Gold Cup is an important tournament for the United States to win, because the winning country receives an invitation to the 2009 Confederations Cup, one of the most prestigious tournaments against some of the best teams in the entire world and an excellent "tune-up" tournament for the 2010 World Cup.

The Gold Cup is a regional tournament against teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. (biggest threat: Mexico)