Gold Cup 2021 Match Reports – Inside World Football

US snatch Gold Cup from Mexico in an extra time Las Vegas thriller

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 12:49:03 +0000

Gold Cup Final: USA 1 Mexico 0 (AET)

August 2 – They say that lightening doesn’t strike twice but in Concacaf it does. Having lost the Nations League final to the US in early June by a goal scored in extra time, Mexico relinquished their Gold Cup title by a goal in extra time scored by Miles Robinson with just three minutes left on the clock.

It was the fifth win by a US team that won five of their six game 1-0 and conceded just once in the tournament.

Herrera shatters Canadian dreams with dramatic last gasp winner to send Mexico to final

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 01:10:00 +0000

Semi-final: Mexico 2 Canada 1

July 29 – In a passionate and feisty display of end-to-end action Mexico squeezed past Canada deep in added time to set up a repeat of the 2019 Gold Cup final against the US in Las Vegas this Sunday.

It was a cruel end to Canada’s Gold Cup run and their dream of taking a full seat at the top table of football in the Concacaf region.

Zardes strike sends US to Gold Cup final. Qatar rue missed chances

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:00:52 +0000

Semi-final: USA 1 Qatar 0

By Jhannet Sanchez in Austin, Texas

July 29 – A dramatic late goal by Gyasi Zardes fired the USA into the final of the Gold Cup to be played this Sunday in Las Vegas, sending Asian champions Qatar home wondering what might have been if they had taken their chances.

The very first meeting between Qatar and the took place at the Q2 stadium in Austin,

Canada ready to re-order Concacaf hierarchy against Mexico in Houston

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:27:36 +0000

July 28 – The Gold Cup semi-finals kick off tonight with Houston’s NRG Stadium hosting a sold-out tie between Mexico and Canada where an upset could be on the cards.

Mexico are defending their title won in 2019, while a fast-improving Canada are looking to establish themselves as a major force in the Concacaf region. To do that Canada need to take a big scalp – Mexico’s would be the biggest statement they could make.

US edges Jamaica to set up semi-final showdown with Qatar

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 15:37:27 +0000

Quarter final: Jamaica 0 USA 1

By Jhannet Sanchez in Arlington, Texas

July 25 – The US and Jamaica renewed a rivalry that has seen the two nations face each other in the last three Gold Cup stages. The US made it a third win in a row tonight in a quarter final that made up for in intensity what it lacked at times in quality.

“I thought it was a tough game,

Canada redefines Concacaf pecking order with landmark win over Costa Rica

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 14:53:52 +0000

Quarter final: Canada 2 Costa Rica 0

By Jhannet Sanchez in Arlington, Texas

July 25 – Both Costa Rica and Canada were fired up for a defining battle at the AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas, last night as their eyes were firmly set on reaching the semi-finals of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. Canada were looking to cement a place at the region’s top table while Costa Rica were seeking to prove they still held it.

Mexico turn on the style to sweep aside battle-weary Honduras

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 15:41:48 +0000

Quarter final: Mexico 3 Honduras 0

July 25 – Mexico brushed aside a battered and bruised Honduras in their quarter final of the Gold Cup at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, in front of a packed house of 64,211 mainly Mexican fans. They now head for Houston and a semi-final clash with either Costa Rica or Canada.

Honduras had arrived in Arizona, after two fierce group encounters with Panama and Qatar that had left them short of key forwards Alerth Elis and Romell Quioto,

Qatar cling on for semi-final spot in face of gutsy El Salvador comeback

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 12:25:52 +0000

Quarter final: Qatar 3 El Salvador 2

July 25 – If the football world wasn’t paying attention when Qatar won the Asian Cup in 2019, it will be now. Even so, Qatar showed two sides of their football personality to beat El Salvador 3-2 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to set up a semi-final clash with either the USA or Jamaica in Austin, Texas, on Thursday.

It was a game of two halves.

Qatar overcome late Honduran pressure to set up El Salvador desert date

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 22:15:20 +0000

Group D: Qatar 2 Honduras 0

July 21 – Qatar went into this final Group D fixture at the BBVA Stadium in Houston needing a point to qualify and set up a quarter final match up with Mexico. A win would hand that assignment to Honduras. It was another night of pulsating football in a Gold Cup that has overflowed with drama on the pitch, and on occasion off it.

Qatar opened impressively with wave after wave of pressure restricting Honduras to using their powerful counter attack with Romell Quioto in particular looking dangerous.

Costa Rica’s Ruiz rolls back the years as Reggae Boyz storm threat blows out

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:12:41 +0000

Group C: Jamaica 0 Costa Rica 1; Suriname 1 Guadeloupe 0

July 21 – Jamaica and Costa Rica were only at the start of their battle for the top spot in Group C in Orlando when the players were called from the pitch in the fourth minute. A bad weather warning had forced the players from the pitch and the crowd for the stands as the rain poured down.

Jamaican coach Theodore Whitmore had made eight changes from the team that had made hard work of beating Guadeloupe 2-1 in their last match.

El Salvador miss chances to scalp Mexico for top group spot

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 14:24:05 +0000

Group A: Mexico 1 El Salvador 0

By Jhannet Sanchez in Dallas, Texas

July 18 – With 45,792 fans in the stands, the concluding group stage match of Group A took place at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, last night. The group decider saw reigning Gold Cup champions Mexico face group leaders El Salvador in a must-win game for the Mexicans to secure the top spot and most favourable quarter final opposition.

US pickpocket Canada in opening minute to top group

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 12:55:09 +0000

Group D: Canada 0 USA 1

July 18 – The top of table clash in Group B table between the US and Canada at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City exploded into action in front of a full house with a goal for the US within a minute. Shaq Moore lit the fuse for a frenetic end-to-end contest that saw the US take the top slot in the group.

Moore’s goal was the second fastest in Gold Cup history and was a statement of intent from a US team that has been pulled together from predominantly US based players in the MLS.

Quioto double fires Honduras into quarter finals, Panama left hanging by a thread

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 05:34:23 +0000

Group D: Panama 2 Honduras 3

July 18 – Honduras sealed their place in the knock out rounds with a 3-2 win over a battling Panama in Houston’s BBVA stadium tonight.

Packed with 22, 437 mainly Honduran fans the BBVA Stadium rocked to their national anthem and wave after wave of end to end action. It was a fierce encounter between two central American challengers who knew a win would put them in pole group position.

Qatar and Afif cruise past Grenada in the heat of Houston

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 01:41:59 +0000

Group D: Grenada 0 Qatar 4

July 18 – Qatar, disappointed not to take maximum points in the Gold Cup opener against Panama, made no mistake against Grenada.

In a temperature just over 90 degrees and humidity of 53% this was never going to be a game played at blistering pace, even so the movement and change of speed of Qatar made it look easy.

There is something ironic about Qatar playing in the heat of the US summer in an uncooled stadium considering the controversy around the shift of the 2022 World Cup from summer to winter.

Streetwise Costa Rica come from behind to beat rapidly improving Suriname

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 05:21:34 +0000

Group C: Suriname 1 Costa Rica 2

July 17 – Costa Rica rode their luck in a pulsating second half of their second Group C qualifying game against Suriname to qualify for the knock out rounds.

Suriname proved that they will be competitive in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and with a little more composure in front of goal and more accuracy with their final attacking passes they could easily have won this game.

Flemmings’ moment of quality secures Jamaica’s passage to knock-out stages

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 02:01:58 +0000

Group C: Jamaica 2 Guadeloupe 1

July 16 – Jamaica took a big step towards the knock out stages of the Gold Cup with a 2-1 win over Guadeloupe. But it they made hard work of it and needed a piece of individual skill by substitute Junior Flemings in the 87thminute to save Jamaica’s blushes.

Jamaica had gone into the game with a convincing 2-0 win against Suriname under their belt.

US dismantle Martinique with six goal blitz

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:04:29 +0000

Group B: Martinique 1 USA 6

July 15 – The USA cruised past Martinique to take maximum points into their final group decider with Canada. Both teams are unbeaten though Canada top the group on goal difference.

The group winner will miss Mexico in later rounds assuming the Mexicans beat El Salvador on Sunday to win their group.

US coach Greg Berhalter made mass changes from the team that beat Haiti 1-0 in their unconvincing Gold Cup opener.

The post US dismantle Martinique with six goal blitz appeared first on Inside World Football.

Canada show covid-hit Haiti no mercy in Kansas to top group

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:03:46 +0000

Group B: Canada 4 Haiti 1

July 15 – Canada secured their place at the top of Group B and progression to the knockout rounds with what was, in the end, an emphatic 4-1 win over a Covid-depleted Haiti.

The pandemic has not been kind to the Haitians at the Gold Cup. They lost five players from their first match against the USA after testing positive. They lost another four before the Canada game leaving them with a squad of 14 including two goalkeepers and six defenders.

Runes Mori brace sets up winner-takes-all group finale with El Salvador

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:50:57 +0000

Group A: Mexico 3 Guatemala 0

By Jhannet Sanchez at the Cotton Bowl, Dallas

July 15 – A heavy rain was an unexpected surprise for the many fans waiting outside the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The match between Mexico and Guatemala was delayed 30 minutes, but didn’t dampen the fans’ enthusiasm.

Los Chapines made several attempts from their attacking field pressuring a Tricolor who after a frustrating opening draw against Trinidad seemed to be finding their rhythm.

El Salvador secure place in knockout rounds as Trinidad and Tobago run out of luck, and gas

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:20:46 +0000

Group A: El Salvador 2 Trinidad and Tobago 2

July 15 – El Salvador guaranteed their qualification for the knock out rounds of the Gold Cup with a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Frisco, Texas. It left Mexcio needing a win in the later game against in Guatemala in Dallas to keep them in the running to top the group.

The Trinidad and Tobago team have been under 24 hour police protection in Fricso,

Storm warning. Qatar and Panama deliver six goal thriller in Houston

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Group D: Qatar 3 Panama 3

July 13 – Group D opened with a storm in Houston tonight. Torrential rain and severe weather warnings delayed the start of the Panama vs Qatar game by an hour with fans ordered to stay on the stadium concourses or in their cars until the storm had passed through.

What then followed was a first half of pushing and probing as two teams who have never met before felt each other out.

Honduras stake their claim on group with Grenada win, but tougher nights to come

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 23:27:45 +0000

Group D: Honduras 4 Grenada 0

July 14 – Honduran fans roared their team on to a comfortable win in the BBVA Stadium in Houston last night. Having belted out their national anthem they went through their full repertoire of chants to Mexican waves in anticipation of a long run in the competition.

Honduras are the top ranked team in Group D. Perennial Concacaf challengers they have never quite made it to parity with Mexico and the USA regionally.

Jamaica ease past Suriname to build Gold Cup challenger credentials

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:41:39 +0000

Group C: Jamaica 2 Suriname 0

July 13 – Jamaica opened their Gold Cup campaign against tournament debutants Suriname at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando with a 2-0 win.

The Reggae Boyz wasted no time bringing in their new English league recruits with the Fulham duo of Bobby Decordova-Reid and Michael Hector linking particularly strongly on the right with Jamaica and Bayer Leverkusen talisman Leon Bailey.

It took just over five minutes before the Jamaican fans were rocking to Bob Marley’s One Love.

Costa Rica overcome defensive lapse to beat 10-man Guadeloupe

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:19:59 +0000

Group C: Costa Rica 3 Guadeloupe 1

July 12 – Costa Rica went into the Gold Cup off the back having lost nine games. Up until the half time whistle you could have been wondering what the issue was. But suddenly all that changed with a goal in the half’s added time that turned what looked like a dead rubber into a spicy contest.

Guadeloupe were making their Gold Cup debut having overcome Guatemala 11-10 in a 12 round penalty shoot out in the final round of Gold Cup group qualifiers.

New look USA grind out Haiti win; Canada find an early rhythm

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:04:53 +0000

Group B: USA 1 -Haiti 0; Canada 4 – Martinique 1

July 11 – The United States opened their Gold Cup campaign in Kansas City with an unconvincing 1-0 win over a combative Haitian team. It was a scrappy start for the Americans but who at then end of the game rode their luck against an improving Haiti.

The US fielded a very different looking starting line up with only one player who started the Concacaf Nations League final against Mexico in June,

Trinidad and Tobago rearguard stuns Mexico in Gold Cup opener, Lozano injured

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 18:58:08 +0000

By Jhannet Sanchez in Arlington, Texas

July 10 – The 2021 Gold Cup opened with a major shock in match between Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago officially took place at the AT&T stadium. A match that ended in a scoreless draw and one point for each team.

Trinidad and Tobago who played with pretty everything they had behind the ball for the whole match, came to make a statement that they were back,

Guadeloupe stun Guatemala after marathon penalty shoot-out

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 04:59:38 +0000

Prelim Qualifiers 2: Guatemala 1 Guadeloupe 1 (Guadeloupe win 10-9 on penalties)

July 6 – It took 12 rounds of penalties for Guadeloupe to create the shock of the Gold Cup group qualifying rounds and beat Guatemala to secure their first ever finals place.

It was a night of penalty shoot-outs at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In the first tie of the evening Trinidad and Tobago beat French Guiana 8-7 on penalties.

Trinidad and Tobago grab dramatic Gold Cup group spot with penalty shoot out win

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 04:15:30 +0000

Prelim Qaulifiers 2: Trinidad and Tobago 1 French Guiana 1 (Trinidad win 8-7 on penalties)

July 6 – Trinidad and Tobago battled their way into the Gold Cup stages with a dramatic 8-7 win on penalties over French Guiana after the score was tied at 1-1 at full time.

Trinidad and Tobago’s heroes were goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup who saved French Guiana’s eighth attempt from Kevin Rimane, and Curtis Gonzales who stuck Trinidad’s eight into the back of the net.

Haiti turn on the power of Pierrot to brush Bermuda aside and had to Gold Cup group stage

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 02:21:41 +0000

Prelims Qualifer 2: Haiti 4 Bermuda 1

July 6 – It was billed as a shoot out between Haiti’s Duckens Nazon and Bermuda’s Nakhi Wells, but it was Haiti’s Frandzty Pierrot who stole the headlines with a first half hat trick that decided the game sent them into the group phase of the Gold Cup.

Haiti, the highest ranked team in the qualifying phase, had just too much explosive pace and power in the key areas for a gallant Bermuda who have improved as a footballing side since the last Gold Cup in 2019.

Guatemala and their fans up the ante with play-off win over Guyana

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 16:52:41 +0000

Prelims Qualifer: Guatemala 4 – Guyana 0

July 4 – A pulsating night of crowd energy and fast paced football in Fort Lauderdale last night ignited the touch paper for the Gold Cup whose group stages start July 10.

More than 8,000 Guatemalan fans were in the DRV PNK Stadium, home of Inter Miami, to drive their team on to a 4-0 win, a result that didn’t do justice to a Guyana team who showed their touches of class and contributed fully to the occasion.