The Gold Cup Group stage ended with a bang over the 4th of July weekend! The top two teams from each group were determined through dramatic matchday three games. Let’s look back at the action and see who made it to the knockout rounds!
A look back at Gold Cup Matchday 3
Group A
Jamaica 5 – 0 St. Kitts and Nevis
Group A of this Gold Cup had two major frontrunners and two underdogs. Jamaica showed that they were one of those big dogs. They drew USA blew out Trinidad and Tobago, and put the final feather in their cap with a massive win over St. Kitts and Nevis.
While it took some time to find the first goal in the final matchday, Jamaica got on the board in the 30th minute and never looked back. It was 2-0 before the end of the first half, then scored three more in the second half. St. Kitts and Nevis were already out of the competition, but they failed to put up much of a fight against the Reggae Boys who are off to the quarterfinals!
Highlights
USA 6 – 0 St. Trinidad and Tobago
The USA is the king of Concacaf right now. They were favored to be one of the top teams at this Gold Cup and they haven’t disappointed in this competition. A draw against Jamaica was followed up by a 6-0 route of St. Kitts and Nevis and then another 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
It was once again all USMNT in their final group-stage match. Jesus Ferreira backed up scoring a hat-trick in matchday two by scoring another hat-trick in matchday three before halftime. The USA scored three more goals in the second half. They overwhelmed T&T, who needed a win and also a Jamaica loss to advance. They didn’t get that, and the USA won group A thanks to a better goal differential over Jamaica!
Highlights
Group B
Honduras 2 – 1 Haiti
In Group B, only Mexico was on to the quarterfinals before matchday three. Haiti was in second place and needed a draw to advance. Honduras needed to beat Haiti and also have Qatar lose to make it to the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup. This match set the tone for what was a dramatic final matchday for Group B.
Early on in this one, it looked like Haiti was en route to another Gold Cup quarterfinals. They scored first in the 20th minute, and Honduras looked rattled. However, they were not going down without a fight. Honduras equalized just before half time and the tide was swung in their favor after that. They found a second and the eventual game-winning goal early in the second half. Honduras did its part to try to make the knockout rounds while making sure Haiti didn’t make it to the quarterfinals.
Highlights
Mexico 0 – 1 Qatar
Mexico were already through to the knockout rounds of the 2023 Gold Cup, but their finale of the group stage was against guest Qatar. While Qatar had only racked up a point in the competition so far, they scored first in all the matches they played. Mexico was salivating at the chance to assert its dominance as the only nation to win all three matches in the group stage, while Qatar was fighting for its life.
Mexico has looked better at the Gold Cup, but they still have been a struggling giant in the region. This match showed that and then some. Qatar has been a team that looks to sit and counter. Mexico knew this, but still threw too many men forward in their attacks. Qatar did what they did all Gold Cup and scored first in the 27th minute. They spent the rest of the 63 minutes of the game defending and repelling Mexico. Mexico was still the Group B winner, but they would be joined by Qatar whos goal difference was better than Honduras.
Highlights
Group C
Costa Rica 6 – 4 Martinique
Costa Rica used to be a big dog in Concacaf but was failing at this Gold Cup. Martinique was in a great position to advance to the knockout rounds but needed a win or a draw to really solidify themselves. Once this match kicked off, it was clear that Costa Rica wasn’t ready to fall into mediocracy.
In a match that Costa Rica needed to win to advance to the quarterfinals, they came out guns blazing. They scored twice in the first half and only conceded once in that time. Then they scored three more times before the 70th minute. Costa Rica was up 5-1, but then conceded twice before the 80th minute. Costa Rica found a sixth goal at the death, and so did Martinique. The thrilled of a match ended 6-4 in favor of Costa Rica and they are off to the knockout rounds.
Highlights
Panama 2 – 2 El Salvador
Panama came into their final match of the Gold Cup group stage with six points. They already had their spot booked in the quarterfinals but played against an El Salvador side that needed a win to advance. Would Panama be able to have a perfect record through the group stage?
At first, it looked like El Salvador would have the upper hand as they scored the opener in the fourth minute of the match. Panama wouldn’t go away though as they equalized about halfway through the first half. The match would stay tied going into halftime. In the second half, Panama came out firing and eventually found the go-ahead goal with just under a half hour left. They tried to see the match out but conceded in second-half stoppage time. Panama still won Group C, and El Salvador ended up being in last place in the group.
Highlights
Group D
Canada 4 – 2 Cuba
Canada came into the final matchday of Group D play in third place after being the favorite to win the group. They needed a win and one of Guatemala and Guadeloupe to lose. Cuba was already out, but could they play spoiler to a would-be Concacaf giant?
Canada’s Gold Cup has shown what they look like without some of their bigger names. However, in this final match, they showed that they can still overcome adversity. They scored twice in the first half to take a two-goal lead but conceded just before halftime. Luckily for the Canadian’s this did not lead to a collapse. They scored two more goals to make it 4-1. They did concede a lat minute goal, but a 4-2 win was enough to catapult Canada to the quarterfinals because of the result of the other Group D match.
Highlights
Guadeloupe 2 – 3 Guatemala
Guadeloupe and Guatemala were both in pole positions to advance to the knockout rounds of this Gold Cup! The two met on the final day of the group stage to play one of the most electrifying matches in this tournament. The magic of the Gold Cup for smaller Concacaf nations was on full display! Guadeloupe knew that a win or a draw would see them through to the knockout rounds; while Guatemala needed to win this game outright.
Guadeloupe got out on the front foot first as they scored in the 27th minute. This woke up Guatemala and they were able to find an equalizer just before the end of the first half. The second half produced even more fireworks. Guadeloupe converted a penalty in the 63rd minute, but just seven minutes later Guatemala equalized. This pushed them further and in the 76th minute, they found the go-ahead goal. Guadeloupe was not done yet as they were awarded another penalty, but this one was saved. The result was then final; Guatemala was off to the quarterfinals as group winners, and Guadeloupe was knocked out!
Highlights
The Quarterfinals are set!
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