Canada`s journey in the Concacaf Gold Cup came to a surprising end in the quarterfinals on Sunday. The team was eliminated after being held to a 1-1 draw by Guatemala and subsequently losing in a penalty shootout. Canada appeared largely outplayed for significant portions of the match.
Jesse Marsch`s squad initially took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Jonathan David converted a penalty. However, the momentum of the game dramatically shifted in Guatemala`s favor late in the first half. Jacob Shaffelburg received a second yellow card for a challenge on Stheven Robles in first-half stoppage time, resulting in his dismissal just moments before the break.
Guatemala found their equalizer in the 69th minute through Rubio Rubin. Rubin, who had previously represented the U.S. men`s national team before switching allegiance, scored with a header. Oscar Santis delivered a well-placed cross from the left flank into the six-yard box, finding Rubin relatively unmarked, and he guided the ball into the net for a deserved leveling goal.
The match proceeded directly to a penalty shootout following the 1-1 draw. Guatemala ultimately secured victory with a 6-5 win in a dramatic sequence of penalties. The first seven players from both sides successfully converted their spot kicks. However, Cyle Larin missed Canada`s eighth penalty. Although Jose Carlos Pinto then missed for Guatemala, Luc de Fougerolles also failed to score for Canada. Jose Morales stepped up next and successfully scored, sending Guatemala through to the semifinals.
This marks Guatemala`s first appearance in a Gold Cup semifinal since 1969, a significant achievement for them and a reflection of Canada`s unexpectedly early exit from the tournament.
Canada, one of the three co-host nations for the upcoming World Cup, has recently built a reputation as a rising force in North American soccer. They reached the Copa America semifinals last year and have defeated the USMNT twice since. The team boasts world-class talent like Bayern Munich left wingback Alphonso Davies, though he was unavailable for the Gold Cup, having suffered an ACL tear during the Concacaf Nations League third-place match against the USMNT in March.
Despite starting the Gold Cup strongly with a dominant 6-0 victory over Honduras, Canada`s path through the group stage was not entirely smooth. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Curacao, a lower-ranked regional opponent, and benefited from a red card shown to their opponents in their 2-0 win against El Salvador.
