2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup — 2002 edition of the association football competition CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup marked the last edition held in an even year, with the United States defeating Costa Rica 2–0 to claim their first Gold Cup title since 1991.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 6th CONCACAF Gold Cup
- Host cities
- Miami and Pasadena, United States
- Teams
- 12 teams in 4 groups of 3
- Final score
- United States 2–0 Costa Rica
- US previous title
- Last won in 1991
- Cuban defections
- Alberto Delgado and Rey Ángel Martínez
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
CONCACAF organized its sixth Gold Cup tournament in January–February 2002, again hosted in the United States, using the same twelve-team group-stage format introduced in 2000. Ecuador and South Korea were invited as non-CONCACAF guests to broaden competition.
Played in Miami and Pasadena, twelve teams competed in four groups of three, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. Canada advanced via lot drawing after all Group D matches ended 2–0, but fell to the United States on penalties in the semifinals. The United States then defeated Costa Rica 2–0 in the final, with goals from Josh Wolff and Jeff Agoos.
The United States secured their first Gold Cup title since 1991, ending an eleven-year drought. The tournament also marked the last edition held in an even-numbered year and during the early months of the calendar year, as subsequent editions shifted to odd-numbered years in June or July. During the competition, Cuban players Alberto Delgado and Rey Ángel Martínez defected to the United States.