Canada experienced a surprising early elimination from the Concacaf Gold Cup in the quarterfinals on Sunday. Their tournament run ended after being held to a 1-1 draw by Guatemala, who arguably outplayed them for periods, followed by a defeat in the subsequent penalty shootout.
Jesse Marsch`s side initially took the lead just after the half-hour mark courtesy of a Jonathan David penalty kick. However, the dynamics of the match significantly changed in Guatemala`s favour when Jacob Shaffelburg received a red card just before halftime during first-half stoppage time. This expulsion was due to a second yellow card shown to Shaffelburg for a challenge on Stheven Robles.
Guatemala netted their equalizer in the 69th minute through Rubio Rubin, a player who had previously represented the U.S. men`s national team before making a one-time switch to represent the Central American nation. Oscar Santis delivered a well-placed cross from the left flank, finding Rubin poorly marked near the six-yard box. Rubin clinically headed the ball into the net, securing a deserved goal for his team.
With the match level, it proceeded directly to a penalty shootout, where Guatemala ultimately won 6-5 in dramatic fashion. The first seven penalty takers on both sides successfully converted their kicks. Canada`s Cyle Larin then missed his attempt, but Guatemala`s Jose Carlos Pinto also failed to convert immediately afterwards, keeping Canada`s hopes alive. However, Luc de Fougerolles` miss for Canada proved decisive, allowing Jose Morales to score his penalty and send Guatemala through to the semifinals.
Guatemala`s advancement marks their first appearance in a Gold Cup semifinal since 1969, a remarkable achievement that contrasts sharply with Canada`s disappointingly early exit.
Considered one of North America`s rising football powers and co-hosts for the next World Cup, Jesse Marsch`s squad had been building momentum, including a strong run in recent tournaments and wins against regional rivals. Their team features world-class talent like Bayern Munich`s Alphonso Davies, although he missed the Gold Cup due to an ACL injury sustained earlier in the year.
Despite beginning the Gold Cup convincingly with a dominant 6-0 victory over Honduras, Canada`s path to the quarterfinals was not entirely smooth. They were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by Curacao, a team considered a regional underdog, and their 2-0 win against El Salvador was aided by their opponent receiving a red card during the match.
