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2013 Gold Cup: Final Power Rankings

The United States went undefeated, winning all six matches en route to their 5th Gold Cup title, beating a strong Panama team on Sunday. Those two team kept the top two spots, but what about the other ten teams?

By Jake Catanese
Tasos Katopodis

If you missed the first edition of the power rankings, click here. The previous number in brackets refers to the teams standing in the power rankings after the group stage.

1. [Prev. 1] UNITED STATES (6-0-0, Champions vs. PAN 1-0) - Team MVP F/M Landon Donovan - They came, they played, the conquered. It wasn't always flawless or dominant, but it got the job done. 11 International victories in a row and Klinsmann wins his first piece of silverware during his USMNT tenure.

2. [2] PANAMA (4-1-1, Runner-up vs. USA 0-1) - Team MVP DEF Ramon Torres - Panama brought a strong side into the tournament and didn't disappoint. Gabriel Torres and Blas Perez up front, Jamie Penedo in goal and Roman Torres leading a defense that only allowed four goals in six games.

3. [7] HONDURAS (3-2-0, L in SF vs. USA 1-3) - Team MVP DEF Osman Chavez - Honduras wasn't always playing great soccer, but they were generally organized defensively and executed their game plans well. Expect Andy Najar to have a big impact for them in the coming years.

4. [4] TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (1-2-1, L in QF vs. MEX 0-1) - Team MVP FOR Kenwyne Jones - T&T might be out of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, but this tournament proves that they can still compete with the rest of CONCACAF. While duplicating their 2006 World Cup run might be difficult, this tournament could springboard them to a run at the 2015 Gold Cup or the 2017 Hexagonal.

5. [3] EL SALVADOR (1-2-1, L in QF vs. USA 1-5) - Team MVP FOR Rodolfo Zelaya - So they were a little overmatched in the quarters, Rodolfo Zelaya carried this team on his back offensively. It will be interesting to see if Zelaya can carry this team to a Hexagonal in the next cycle.

6. [5] MEXICO (3-2-0, L in SF vs. PAN 1-2) - Team MVP MID Marco Fabian - If it weren't for Canada, El Tri would be the most disappointing team in the tournament. It's not their top squad, but this has to be morale-crushing when you combine it with their struggles in World Cup qualifying.

7. [6] COSTA RICA (2-2-0, L in QF vs. HON 0-1) - Team MVP MID Michael Barrantes - Their defense was stout throughout, only allowing two goals, but they just couldn't score. After a 3-0 win vs. Cuba, no Costa Rican player scored for three straight games. Barrantes was one of the few consistent threats offensively.

8. [8] CUBA (1-3-0, L in QF vs. PAN 1-6) - Team MVP FOR Ariel Martinez - It was a shame that Cuba's final game was marred by Martinez's justified red card. They fought hard to make the knockout stages only to be blown out with 10-men.

9. [9] MARTINIQUE (1-2-0, Eliminated in Group Stage) - Team MVP M/D Fabrice Reuperne - They might have been the best team eliminated in the group stages, but they'll always have Reuperne's stunning winner and Reuperne can forget about that penalty miss from 2002.

10. [10] HAITI (1-2-0, Eliminated in Group Stage) - Team MVP FOR Jean-Eudes Maurice - Someone had to lose Group B, but Haiti has a lot of positives to take out of this tournament. I'd be shocked if we don't see them improve over the next few years and I look forward to seeing them again in the 2015 Gold Cup if they qualify.

11. [11] BELIZE (0-3-0, Eliminated in Group Stage) - Team MVPs GKs Shane Orio / Woodrow West - How did they not win the Fair Play award? Has CONCACAF lost their minds (don't answer that...)? If FIFA doesn't give them their 2013 Fair Play Award, I've lost all hope. It's not like they turned in a match-fixer or anything.

12. CANADA (0-3-0, Eliminated in Group Stage) - Team MVP GK Milan Borjan - They still stunk, but at least Borjan cared and kept them in games. Shame Will Johnson missed two games due to illness as well, two of the rare bright spots for Canada going forward.

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