Canada were surprisingly eliminated from the Concacaf Gold Cup in the quarterfinals on Sunday, exiting after being outplayed by Guatemala in a 1-1 draw and then losing in a penalty shootout.
Jesse Marsch’s side took the lead after the half-hour mark when Jonathan David scored a penalty, though the match tilted in Guatemala’s favor after Jacob Shaffelburg picked up a red card in first-half stoppage time. It was a second yellow for Shaffelburg, who knocked into Stheven Robles before the referee broke out his cards to send the Canada international to the locker room just moments before the break.
Guatemala’s equalizer came in the 69th minute courtesy of Rubio Rubin, who previously made seven appearances for the U.S. men’s national team before filing a one-time switch to represent the Central American nation. Oscar Santis whipped in a well-placed cross from the left flank with Rubin in mind, the player in and around the six-yard box and not well marked. Rubin then flicked the ball into the back of the net with a header, giving his side a well-deserved goal.
The match then went straight to penalties, with Guatemala winning 6-5 after a dramatic shootout. Each of the first seven takers scored before Cyle Larin missed for Canada, but Guatemala’s Jose Carlos Pinto was unable to convert. Luc de Fougerolles then missed for Canada, with Jose Morales then scoring to send his side to the semifinals.
Guatemala will now play in their first Gold Cup semifinal since 1969, an impressive feat that also reflects the disappointingly early exit for Canada.
One of three host nations for next year’s World Cup, Jesse Marsch’s side have likened themselves as one of North America’s rising talents, making a run to the Copa America semifinals last year and beating the USMNT twice since. Canada also boast one of the world’s most exciting players in Bayern Munich left wingback Alphonso Davies, though he was not at the Gold Cup after suffering an ACL tear in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match against the USMNT in March.
Despite beginning the Gold Cup in dominant form with a 6-0 win over Honduras, their journey to the quarterfinals was not particularly straightforward. They tied 1-1 with Curacao, a regional minnow, and benefited from a red card in their 2-0 win over El Salvador.
