Canada`s journey in the Concacaf Gold Cup ended surprisingly early in the quarterfinals on Sunday. They were eliminated after a 1-1 draw and subsequent penalty shootout loss to Guatemala, who arguably outplayed them over the 90 minutes.
Jesse Marsch`s team initially took the lead through a Jonathan David penalty after the 30-minute mark. However, the momentum shifted significantly towards Guatemala when Jacob Shaffelburg received a red card just before halftime. This was Shaffelburg`s second yellow card, given after a challenge on Stheven Robles, leaving Canada with ten men for the majority of the match.
Guatemala found their equalizer in the 69th minute through Rubio Rubin. Rubin, who previously represented the U.S. national team before switching allegiance, finished with a header from close range. Oscar Santis delivered a precise cross from the left flank, finding Rubin unmarked near the six-yard box for a well-deserved goal.
With the score tied at 1-1, the match proceeded directly to a penalty shootout. Guatemala emerged victorious with a dramatic 6-5 win. After the first seven penalties were successfully converted, Canada`s Cyle Larin missed his attempt. However, Guatemala`s Jose Carlos Pinto also failed to score. Canada`s hopes were dashed when Luc de Fougerolles missed, allowing Jose Morales to score the winning penalty for Guatemala and secure their place in the semifinals.
This victory sends Guatemala to the Gold Cup semifinals for the first time since 1969, a remarkable achievement for them, contrasting sharply with Canada`s unexpectedly early departure.
As one of the co-hosts for the upcoming World Cup, Canada, under Jesse Marsch, sees itself as a developing force in North American football. They had shown promise with a run to the Copa America semifinals last year and recent wins against the USMNT. Their squad typically includes world-class talent like Bayern Munich`s Alphonso Davies, though he was unavailable for the Gold Cup due to an ACL injury sustained in March.
Canada`s path through the group stage wasn`t entirely smooth, despite starting strong with a commanding 6-0 win over Honduras. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Curacao, considered a less formidable opponent, and their 2-0 victory against El Salvador came with the advantage of playing against ten men.
Dominic Ashworth