The U.S.A men’s national soccer barely made it through the Group C bracket to the quarterfinals of the 2011 Gold Cup with a 1-0 victory vs Guadeloupe last Tuesday. The U.S. soccer squad will now face a formidable foe when they take the pitch at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. vs Jamaica at 3:00pm EST. The USA vs Jamaica match can be seen live on Fox Soccer or Univision and will be followed by Group C winner Panama taking on El Salvador at 6:00pm EST. The winner of the U.S. vs Jamaica match will face the winner of Panama vs El Salvador on Wednesday evening in Houston, Texas.

Vegas and online bookmakers have opened with the USA as -200 favorites in Gold Cup odds while Jamaica, who won Group B with 9-points going 3-0, would return +500 for the upset while a Draw would pay-out +275 on a $100 wager. Bookmakers have also opened with U.S.A soccer as -1 (-110) favorites on the point-spread line for the quarterfinal match while Jamaica is listed as +1 (-120) underdogs. The over/under total for Sunday’s match on Fox Soccer has been posted at 2.5 UNDER (-125) or OVER (-105). The United States soccer team is heavily favored to win once again today but the team has left much to be desired with their recent performances as many fans have called for the resignation of head coach Bob Bradley.

The men’s US national soccer team earned a well deserved 2-0 win vs Canada in the opening game of the group stages as -450 favorites in Gold Cup odds but then simply did not look like the same team vs Panama in the second game and fell 1-2 as -450 soccer betting favorites. Expecting a big win vs Guadeloupe who failed to manage any points in the group, the USA instead missed numerous opportunities and had to settle for a less than flattering 1-0 victory to qualify for the quarterfinal match. The USA has an undefeated 9-0-8 record vs Jamaica but midfielders Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have been absent from practice this week leading up to Sunday’s game attending the marriages of their sisters. With Dempsey the main culprit of missed opportunities and Donovan seemingly ineffective in the Guadeloupe match, laying -200 on the USA vs Jamaica is a scary notion.

As for the “The Reggae Boyz,” they have clearly earned their place in the quarterfinals after handling Grenada 4-0, Guatemala 2-0 and Honduras 1-0. Despite easily winning Group B with +7 goal differential and 3-straight shut-outs, online sportsbooks are not giving the squad much respect as +500 underdogs in Gold Cup odds. Defender Demar Phillips will be the key to a Jamaica victory today as he leads the squad in the 2011 Gold Cup with three goals. The Reggae Boyz have made great strides in recent years in the production of quality players for their national team as 23-players on the roster currently play for professional clubs in 6-different countries. Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts has recorded three shut-outs during the tournament and will look for his fourth today vs LA Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan.

Gold Cup Picks: Draw +275