USMNT beats Canada on penalties in wild Gold Cup quarterfinal

The game started slowly but went full CONCACAF by the end

The U.S. men’s national team reached the Gold Cup semifinals in wild fashion on Sunday night, defeating Canada on penalties in a game that started slow but descended into classic CONCACAF chaos by the end.

The quarterfinal would finish 2-2 after 120 minutes, which saw the USMNT and Canada trade goals late in regulation and again in extra time to send the game into a penalty shootout.

Matt Turner was the hero in the shootout, saving Canada’s first two penalties as the USMNT prevailed 3-2 on spot kicks to advance to Wednesday’s semifinal against Panama in San Diego.

The first half saw Canada successfully frustrate the favored Americans, who had the lion’s share of possession but only managed one shot on target.

That was one more shot than Canada, however, as John Herdman’s side had their best scoring chance come from a VAR review late in the half. Miles Robinson appeared to handle the ball in the box, but the referee did not award the penalty after spotting a shove from Canada’s Moïse Bombito on Gianluca Busio prior to the handball.

The second half started out in much the same fashion before the USMNT started to turn the screws as the half wore on. Busio tested Dayne St. Clair from inside the box in the 68th minute, but the Canada goalkeeper dove low to his right to stop the best U.S. chance of the night to that point.

The U.S. needed a spark and the crowd at TQL Stadium made it clear who they wanted to provide it, chanting “We Want Vazquez” repeatedly for hometown striker Brandon Vazquez.

B.J. Callaghan obliged the home fans in the 73rd minute and 15 minutes later, he looked like a genius as it appeared the FC Cincinnati striker had won the match with a header off a tremendous cross from DeJuan Jones.

But minutes later, Robinson would somewhat improbably be under review for a potential handball in the box for the second time on the night. This time, he wasn’t so lucky.

Steven Vitória stepped up from the spot and with Canada’s first shot on target, buried his penalty down the middle for a 93rd-minute equalizer.

Vitória tied the game with Canada’s first shot on goal, and Jacob Shaffelburg looked like he won it with their second. The Nashville SC winger scored on a fantastic individual effort in extra time, starting the play by forcing a turnover and then squeezing a seeing-eye shot through Matt Miazga and into the net.

But there would be another twist in an increasingly wild game, as the USMNT found an equalizer five minutes later when Busio’s shot was saved by St. Clair, but the rebound caromed off Scott Kennedy and in for an own goal.

That would send the game into penalties, where Turner started off with two saves before the U.S. clinched a spot in the final four when Charles-Andreas Brym’s penalty crashed off the crossbar in the fifth round of spot kicks.

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