GUYANA will open their 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign against defending champions USA on June 18 at the Allianz Field in Minneapolis.

The Golden Jaguars were drawn in Group D of the 16-team tournament, with the defending champions (USA), Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

Following their June 18 opener, coach Michael Johnson and his squad will travel to Cleveland to take on Panama on June 22 at the FirstEnergy Stadium then play their final group game against regional rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, on June 26 at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas.

Meanwhile, Canada will play in Group A, where they will take on seeded country and perennial Gold Cup contenders Mexico and Caribbean nations Cuba and Martinique.

In other action, Group B features seeded side Costa Rica taking on Haiti, as well as Nicaragua and Bermuda, while Group C will see Honduras and Jamaica face El Salvador and Curacao.

The 2019 Gold Cup features an expanded field, with 16 teams for the first time, including first-time entrants Bermuda and Guyana. The United States will host the majority of the matches, but this year’s tournament will feature group-stage games in Costa Rica and Jamaica – the first time Gold Cup games have been hosted outside of the US, Canada or Mexico.