After six preliminary round matches and 24 group stage matches, the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals are set to kick off with the “Elite Eight” of the region.
Saturday, July 8th (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
Panama vs Qatar (7:00 pm ET/6:00 pm CT/4:00 pm PT)
Panama
Panama topped Group C achieving seven points in three games. Their mix of offense and defense was pivotal in progressing. In both of their first two games, Panama jumped out to a 2-0 lead before conceding a goal in stoppage time of the second half. In their third match, they suffered an early goal to El Salvador before battling back to take a 2-1 lead. As they did in their first two games, Panama was blemished by a goal conceded in stoppage time. The leading scorer for Panama is Jose Fajardo with two goals. He was assisted on both of his goals by Eric Davis. Adalberto Carrasquilla has been a standout performer for Panama conducting business in the center of the pitch.
Qatar
Qatar battled their way to a second-place finish in Group B. In the first match of the group stage against Haiti, they jumped out to an early lead before conceding an equalizer in stoppage time of the first half and a subsequent match-winning goal in stoppage time of the second half. In their second match, they again jumped out to an early lead before conceding an equalizer late in stoppage time of the second half. Qatar exercised those demons and maintained a 1-0 lead over Mexico, ultimately achieving qualification over Honduras due to their high goal difference. Goal scoring has been sparse for Qatar only scoring one goal per match. Hazem Shehata, Tameem Al-Abdullah, and Yusuf Abdurisag have each scored one goal. In goal, Meshaal Barsham has had another impressive Gold Cup outing keeping one clean sheet.
Mexico vs Costa Rica (9:30 pm ET/8:30 pm CT/6:30 pm PT)
Mexico
Mexico progressed to the quarterfinals winning Group B following an impressive showing in the group stage achieving two wins in three games. An offensive resurgence under interim Head Coach “Jaime” Lozano led the way for Mexico. In their first two games, Mexico’s free-flowing offense flourished scoring four and three goals respectively. Their final group-stage game saw a rotated XI unable to score against Qatar as they suffered a 1-0 loss. Much of the pre-tournament discussion focused on Santiago Gimenez and his goal-scoring prowess. Despite the buzz prior to the tournament, Gimenez has managed one goal in three games, only one start. The scoring has been diverse with five players scoring a goal led by Luis Romo with two goals. The defense has also been a strong suit for Mexico allowing only two goals during the group stage. After serving his suspension, Cesar Montes will be available for selection.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica rode a 6-4 win over Martinique in their third group stage match to qualify as second-place finishers in Group C. After a 2-1 loss to Panama and a scoreless draw with El Salvador, Costa Rica found themselves on the outside looking in at qualification. In their 10-goal thriller with Martinique, five players scored a goal, they were also aided by an own goal. In total, six players have scored for Costa Rica this tournament, each player scoring one goal. Talisman Joel Campbell has four goal contributions tallying a goal and three assists. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is not included in the Gold Cup squad.
Sunday, July 9th (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio)
Game One – Guatemala vs Jamaica (5:00 pm ET/4:00 pm CT/2:00 pm PT)
Guatemala
As a surprise to some, Guatemala came out of Group D on top with two wins from their three games. They began the tournament with a 1-0 win over Cuba and followed that performance with a 0-0 draw against pre-tournament contender Canada. Their spot in the knockout round was solidified with a 3-2 win over Guadeloupe who entered the match as group leaders. In that match, Guatemala overcame a 2-1 deficit in the 70th minute scoring two goals in five minutes. Guatemala is the lowest-scoring group winner. Rubio Rubin leads the squad with two goals scored. He is joined by Carlos Mejia and Darwin Lom who have each scored a goal. In goal for Guatemala, Nicholas Hagen has kept two clean sheets also boasting an 83.3% save percentage.
Jamaica
A star-studded Jamaica squad achieved progression to the quarterfinals as second-place finishers in Group A. Demari Gray, making his debut for Jamaica this tournament after representing England at the youth level, has been efficient in his initial appearances scoring two goals in three games. He has also proven an effective playmaker adding an assist. Jamaica talisman Leon Bailey also has three goal contributions this tournament with one goal and two assists. In the backline, Damion Lowe has been a stalwart in defense as well as an effective progressor of play. He also has a goal to his name, scoring in the opening match against the United States. Club teammate to Lowe and Jamaica captain Andre Blake continues to be a perpetual presence in goal.
United States vs Canada (7:30 pm ET/6:30 pm CT/4:30 pm PT)
United States
The United States emerged as the leader of Group A following two impressive outings in the final two matches of the group stage. After a late goal from Brandon Vasquez to salvage a draw against Jamaica, the United States responded with resounding victories over Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago. The goal difference accrued in those games was the tiebreaker that saw the United States progress as group leaders. A hat-trick against Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago established Jesus Ferreira as the leading scorer of the squad and the tournament with six goals. Djordje Mihailovic has been an effective scorer and playmaker in midfield tallying two goals and assists each. Defending and goalkeeping by the United States has also been elite, conceding only one goal with two goalkeepers registering a clean sheet. Matt Turner also saved a penalty kick in the match against Jamaica to keep their deficit in that match to one goal.
Canada
With a victory over Cuba and assistance from Guatemala, Canada secured qualification as second-place finishers in Group D. After two draws in their first two games, Canada were at risk of elimination heading into their final group stage match. They comfortably took care of Cuba with a 4-2 victory. A lifeline was given to Canada as Guatemala defeated the prior group leader Guadeloupe. Without the likes of Jonathan David leading the line, scoring for Canada has been evenly distributed with six players scoring one goal. Junior Hoilett leads the squad with three goal contributions, pairing two assists with a goal. In the midfield, Jonathan Osorio, Liam Fraser, and Richie Laryea have been efficient going forward. Kamal Miller has led the backline providing protection for captain and goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
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