Group A of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was one of three groups competing at the tournament. The group's first round of matches were played on June 5, with the final round played on June 12. All six group matches were played at venues in the United States, in Arlington, Charlotte and Chicago. The group consisted of five-time Gold Cup champions, Mexico, as well as Costa Rica, El Salvador and Cuba.
Mexico vs El Salvador: failed drug testers versus match fixers
On June 5, 2011, Mexico defeated El Salvador, 5–0, in the first fixture for both teams.
Three days later, on the eve of Mexico's second fixture against Cuba, the Mexican Football Federation removed five players from their squad due to substance abuse.[1] These players included starting goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa, starting center back Francisco Rodríguez and the following reserves: Sinha, Christian Bermúdez and Édgar Dueñas.[2][3] The drug they tested positive for was clenbuterol, which is used in animals to produce lean meat. The supposition for the players being injected with this substance was from eating chicken that had traceable amounts of clenbuterol in it.[4] Reports begin breaking on June 6[5] and were official on June 9. The "B" samples of those five involving players have been negative.[6]
^"Gold Cup: Five Mexico players test positive for banned substance". MLSSoccer.com. June 10, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
^Mira, Luis (June 9, 2011). "Five Mexico internationals suspended for positive anti-doping test". Goal.com. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
^Baxter, Kevin (June 9, 2011). "Five Mexican soccer players suspended for positive drug tests". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
^"5 Mexico players test positive, blame tainted food". USA Today. June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
^Uy, Nathaniel (6 June 2011). "Mexico Soccer: Five Players Reportedly out of Gold Cup After Testing Positive". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
^"Mexican "B" samples test negative". concacaf.com. 2011-06-15. Archived from the original on 2011-06-18. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
^"El Salvador match-fixing: 14 footballers banned for life". BBC News. 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2020-08-01.