Tag: Gold Cup

Gimenez wins Gold Cup for Mexico with legendary individual goal

El Tri badly needed a win, and their best young player provided exactly what was required

Mexico badly needed a lift, and its brightest young star provided exactly what was required with an individual moment of brilliance to win the Gold Cup on Sunday night.

It’s been a difficult spell for El Tri, which was bounced from the World Cup group stage, humiliated by its closest rival in a continental semifinal and ousted two coaches within a span of less than a year.

The pressure was fully on Mexico for the Gold Cup, with the U.S. taking a roster that could somewhat charitably be described as a B-squad.

In fact, the oft-anticipated final between Mexico and the USMNT didn’t even materialize after B.J. Callaghan’s squad fell to Panama on penalties in the semifinal.

That set the stage for Mexico and Panama to face off in Sunday’s final at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which was filled with green-clad fans hoping to see their side overcome the Central American underdogs.

But despite a number of Mexico chances, the match was scoreless through 88 minutes. El Tri had the better of play, with a goal waved off due to an offside call and several outstanding saves from Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.

But interim Mexico boss Jaime Lozano introduced Santiago Giménez as a substitute in the 85th minute. Three minutes later, the 22-year-old produced a moment Mexico fans will always remember.

Giménez held off Panama’s Harold Cummings near midfield, spun the defender around and then raced clear on goal. With only Mosquera to beat, he scuffed a shot into the far corner to send the stadium into raptures.

“It’s the biggest moment of my career,” Giménez said in quotes published by the AP. “I just tried to get down the field quickly. We followed our principles throughout the game, and they worked perfectly. The result was great, because there were a lot of competitive teams in this tournament.”

Watch Gimenez’s Gold Cup winner

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‘The first half is my fault’: Callaghan holds hand up after USMNT’s Gold Cup ends early

Callaghan accepted blame for a lineup change that did not pan out

The U.S. men’s national team is out of the Gold Cup one game earlier than planned, and there seems to be a race to take the blame.

Panama ended the USMNT’s run, surviving a six-round penalty tiebreaker after a 1-1 extra time draw. That was widely seen as a fair result: Panama gave the U.S. immense trouble in the early going, and saw multiple good looks in a more even second half denied by close calls from referee Walter López or strong saves from Matt Turner.

Still, an early Gold Cup exit is rare for the USMNT, who had made the last three tournament finals and entered this edition as defending champions.

Plenty of players indicated that they felt like the loss was on their shoulders. Despite Panama’s goal coming after a badly executed offside trap, Turner told TUDN that Iván Anderson’s strike was his responsibility. Jesús Ferreira, who scored the team’s dramatic equalizer but then missed his penalty in the shootout, looked positively dejected as the team trudged off the pitch at Snapdragon Stadium.

However, if you ask interim coach B.J. Callaghan, the problems all started with an experimental lineup that resulted in a draining first half. While Panama gained confidence, the USMNT had to chase on legs that were already heavy after going to extra time against Canada in the quarterfinals.

“The first half is my fault. I didn’t set the team up the way they should have been set up,” Callaghan — whose future is unclear as Gregg Berhalter returns to the USMNT helm in the coming days — told reporters after the match.

Callaghan opted for a 4-3-3 to start the match, which is not out of the ordinary for the USMNT, but an attempt to start both Ferreira and Brandon Vazquez backfired. Rather than using a high press to create while its two top goal threats were both on the field, the USMNT struggled as Panama pulled their shape apart repeatedly. Aside from Cade Cowell’s shot off the post in the first seconds of the match, los Canaleros were fully in charge as the teams headed off at the break.

Callaghan: ‘I take responsibility’

“We tried to remain [true] to our identity,” explained Callaghan. “We want to go out and press. I thought Panama, they’re a really well-coached team, they’re really experienced, they’ve been together for a long time. They were able to cause us challenges, and obviously in the wide areas, it was difficult for us to get to those long diagonals in the first half. [We] expended a lot of energy. I take responsibility and accountability for that.”

At halftime, Callaghan rang the changes: the 4-3-3 was exchanged for a 4-2-3-1, with Ferreira playing underneath Vazquez, Cowell switching to the right wing, and Djordje Mihailovic moving from a central role to play out on the left. With more true width, the USMNT had an easier time containing Panama’s wingbacks while keeping numbers around influential Houston Dynamo midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla.

“We were just able to make a small adjustment defensively to get some more cover into the wide areas,” said Callaghan. “I thought the guys executed that great, put in another great shift. I thought in the second half [we were] able to control the game a little bit more.”

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Panama stuns USMNT on penalties, ending dream of Gold Cup repeat

There will be no repeat for the USMNT, which could not win a second straight penalty shootout

]The U.S. men’s national team is out of the Gold Cup.

Just as it did in the quarterfinal against Canada, the USMNT fell behind in the semifinal against Panama in extra time, only to grab a dramatic equalizer and send the game into penalties. Unlike against Canada, however, the U.S. would fall to defeat in the ensuing shootout.

The result sees the U.S. miss out on the Gold Cup final for the first time since 2015, ending a three-tournament streak that included titles in 2017 and 2021.

The USMNT was often second best in the game’s first 90 minutes, which ended scoreless. An extra-time goal from Iván Anderson gave Panama a 1-0 lead, but Jesús Ferreira would reply just minutes later with a stunning equalizer on the volley — his seventh goal of the tournament.

But the USMNT would not have the same shootout fortune that it did in the quarterfinal, as Panama advanced to Sunday’s final after defeating the U.S. 5-4 on spot kicks at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

The defeat ends B.J. Callaghan’s tenure as interim head coach and ushers in the second Gregg Berhalter era, which will begin in earnest with a pair of September friendlies. After Callaghan guided the USMNT to victory in the Nations League last month, a squad made up of fringe national team players was unable to make it a perfect summer for the USA.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Cade Cowell hit post just 20 seconds into the game after a Panama giveaway, but that was as good as it got for the USMNT in the first half.

Panama began to assert itself as the half wore on, keeping the lion’s share of possession while continuing to trouble the U.S. back line with long diagonal balls over the top.

The U.S., perhaps fatigued after going 120 minutes three days earlier, increasingly looked to be on the ropes and was undoubtedly relieved to simply get to halftime with the game scoreless.

The USMNT came out improved in the second half, and both Brandon Vazquez and Ferreira had golden opportunities to give their team the lead that were ultimately spurned.

Just before the end of regulation, the USMNT dodged a major bullet when Panama appeared to have scored through Ismael Díaz, who was ruled offside after a video review. There was also a possible handball on Djordje Mihailovic prior to Díaz’s goal that was not given for a penalty.

The U.S. would not be so lucky just eight minutes into extra time.

Another ball over the top caught the USMNT’s high line out, and Anderson, who only came on as a substitute at the end of regulation, got a vital touch that beat an onrushing Matt Turner before calmly finishing into an empty net.

Incredibly, just as they did on Sunday, the U.S. found an equalizer after going behind in extra time.

Jordan Morris won a long ball and guided his header straight to Ferreira, who did the rest with an outstanding volley.

The game would finish 1-1 and go on to penalties, where Ferreira saw his opening spot kick saved by Orlando Mosquera. Turner would then save from Cristian Martínez to level the shootout, which would ultimately go to a sixth round.

Cristian Roldan saw his penalty saved and Adalberto Carrasquilla made no mistake with his chance to win the match, giving the Central American side the upset and a place in the Gold Cup final for the first time since 2013.

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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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Gold Cup 2023 schedule: Standings, groups, teams, TV and streaming

The USMNT will be aiming for a second consecutive continental title this summer

The 17th edition of the Gold Cup is set for the summer of 2023, with 16 teams competing to be crowned the top men’s national team in CONCACAF.

The tournament will mostly take place in the United States, which is home to 14 of the 15 stadiums that will host matches. The lone outlier is BMO Field in Toronto, with Canada set to host Gold Cup games for the first time since 2015.

The United States is also the defending champion, having defeated Mexico 1-0 after extra time of a thrilling final in 2021.

Before the group stage begins on June 24, the Gold Cup Prelims will take place between June 16-20 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Prelims will see 12 teams enter and three emerge with a spot in the Gold Cup group stage.

From there, the top two finishers in each of the four groups will earn a spot in the quarterfinals, which will begin the single-elimination knockout portion of the tournament.

It will all culminate with the final on July 16 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

In the United States, games will be available through Fox Sports/Tubi in English. All but four of the tournament’s matches will air on FS1, with three group-stage games on FS2 and the final on Fox’s broadcast network. The Gold Cup will also be available on TUDN/ViX in Spanish.

Here is a look at all of the groups for the 2023 Gold Cup, and the schedule of matches all the way through to the final.

Group A

Team W D L GF GA GD Points
United States 2 1 0 13 1 +12 7
Jamaica 2 1 0 10 2 +8 7
Trinidad and Tobago 1 0 2 4 10 -6 3
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 0 3 0 14 -14 0

Group A schedule (all times ET)

June 24: United States 1-1 Jamaica
June 25: Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 Saint Kitts and Nevis
June 28: Jamaica 4-1 Trinidad and Tobago
June 28: Saint Kitts and Nevis 0-6 United States
July 2: United States 6-0 Trinidad and Tobago
July 2: Jamaica 5-0 Saint Kitts and Nevis

Group B

Team W D L GF GA GD Points
Mexico 2 0 1 7 2 +5 6
Qatar 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
Honduras 1 1 1 3 6 -3 4
Haiti 1 0 2 4 6 -2 3

Group B schedule (all times ET)

June 25: Haiti 2-1 Qatar
June 25: Mexico 4-0 Honduras
June 29: Qatar 1-1 Honduras
June 29: Haiti 1-3 Mexico
July 2: Honduras 2-1 Haiti
July 2: Mexico 0-1 Qatar

Group C

Team W D L GF GA GD Points
Panama 2 1 0 6 4 +2 7
Costa Rica 1 1 1 7 6 +1 4
Martinique 1 0 2 7 9 -2 3
El Salvador 0 2 1 3 4 2 1

Group C schedule (all times ET)

June 26: El Salvador 1-2 Martinique
June 26: Costa Rica 1-2 Panama
June 30: Martinique 1-2 Panama
June 30:  El Salvador 0-0 Costa Rica
July 4: Costa Rica 6-4 Martinique
July 4: Panama 2-2 El Salvador

Group D

Team W D L GF GA GD Points
Guatemala 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7
Canada 1 2 0 6 4 +2 5
Guadeloupe 1 1 1 8 6 +2 4
Cuba 0 0 3 3 9 -6 0

Group D schedule (all times ET)

June 27: Canada 2-2 Guadeloupe
June 27: Guatemala 1-0 Cuba
July 1: Cuba 1-4 Guadeloupe
July 1: Guatemala 0-0 Canada
July 4: Guadeloupe 2-3 Guatemala
July 4: Canada 4-2 Cuba

Gold Cup knockout stage

Saturday, July 8 – Quarterfinals
Match 34: Panama 4-0 Qatar
Match 35: Mexico 2-0 Costa Rica

Sunday, July 9 – Quarterfinals
Match 36: Guatemala 0-1 Jamaica
Match 37: United States 2-2 Canada (AET; United States advances 3-2 on penalties)

Wednesday, July 12 – Semifinals
Panama 1-1 United States (AET; Panama advances 5-4 on penalties)
Mexico 3-0 Jamaica

Sunday, July 16, 2023 – Final
Mexico 1-0 Panama

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Miazga on Berhalter relationship: ‘The past is the past’

The USMNT defender has made no secret of the issues he’s had with Berhalter

Matt Miazga has downplayed any issues he’s previously had with U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter, saying that “nobody really cares about what happened in the past.”

The USMNT defender has not hid the fact that his relationship with Berhalter has not always been strong, saying last fall that the pair “didn’t see eye to eye on a few things in the past,” which he felt prevented him from being called up.

This April, the FC Cincinnati defender aired out his belief that he “was screwed over multiple times in the past” by the USMNT coaching staff.

Things have changed now for both Miazga and Berhalter.

After making his return to MLS last year Miazga is back with the USMNT, playing in all three of the team’s Gold Cup group-stage matches to earn his first caps in two years.

Berhalter, meanwhile, has returned to his position as USMNT head coach after six months away — though interim coach B.J. Callaghan is still in charge through the Gold Cup.

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s quarterfinal against Canada, Miazga attempted to put whatever issues he’s had with Berhalter in the past as he eyes further call-ups beyond this summer.

“I haven’t spoken to [Berhalter] since right before the World Cup when he called me but yeah, the past is the past,” Miazga said.

(Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP)

“At the end of the day, nobody really cares about what happened in the past. Things move on now I’m excited to be wearing the crest again. Obviously Gregg has the job, so I have to control what I can control and make sure that I can play well. So I’m looking forward to it.”

Miazga has now earned 26 caps since making his USMNT debut in November 2015.

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Suspect arrested after Mexico-Qatar Gold Cup stabbing

A man was charged with attempted murder over the Levi’s Stadium incident

Police have announced an arrest following an incident that saw a fan stabbed during Sunday’s Gold Cup match between Mexico and Qatar.

“On July 4, 2023, detectives from the Sacramento Police Department’s East and Central Command Violent Crime Reduction Team and the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) arrested suspect Alejandro Garcia-Villanueva at his residence,” read an SCPD statement on the matter.

SCPD said on Wednesday that Garcia-Villanueva has been charged with attempted murder. On Monday police described the victim as being in critical but stable condition.

Initially, the SCPD asked for the public’s help identifying a male suspect as well as a female “person of interest,” but said on Wednesday that detectives had determined the latter “did not commit a criminal offense” and was released

The incident happened amid what appeared on video as a brawl between fans, with the police report stating that “the suspect fled from the scene and was not located” at Levi’s Stadium.

Qatar defeated Mexico 1-0 in the match, a result that saw both teams advance to the Gold Cup knockout stage.

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Yueill replaces injured Sonora on USMNT Gold Cup roster

The 26-year-old will be looking for his first cap since December 2021

Jackson Yueill has been named as an injury replacement for Alan Soñora on the U.S. men’s national team Gold Cup roster.

Soñora was removed from the USMNT’s win over St. Kitts and Nevis at halftime, and has since been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain.

Following the USMNT’s group stage finale against Trinidad and Tobago, interim coach B.J. Callaghan said that Soñora would be replaced ahead of the knockout stage.

Callaghan has opted to bring in San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Yueill, who has been capped 16 times by the USMNT — most recently in a December 2021 friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 26-year-old was called up for April’s Continental Clásico against Mexico, but was an unused substitute in a 1-1 draw.

After topping Group A, the USMNT will face Canada on Sunday in the Gold Cup quarterfinal. Kickoff at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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Fan stabbed at Mexico-Qatar Gold Cup match

The fan is listed in critical but stable condition

Police are seeking one suspect and one person of interest after a fan was stabbed during Sunday’s Gold Cup match between Mexico and Qatar at Levi’s Stadium.

According to the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD), officers responded to a fight in the stands at 8:47 p.m.

“Upon arrival, SCPD officers located a male victim with a visible wound to his neck,” the police report said. “Based upon witness statements and video footage, SCPD detectives discovered the victim was stabbed in the neck with a knife during an altercation with the suspect. The suspect fled from the scene and was not located.”

Police said on Monday that the victim was listed in critical but stable condition.

The SCPD released images of the male suspect and female person of interest on its Twitter account, seeking the public’s assistance in locating the pair.

On Tuesday, the Mexican federation released a statement condemning the incident and vowing to work with authorities and CONCACAF to ensure similar incidents won’t happen in the future.

“We at the Mexican Football Federation strongly regret and condemn the acts of violence that occurred after last Sunday’s game in Santa Clara,” the statement read.

“We are fully willing to cooperate and join efforts with CONCACAF, the stadiums and local authorities, to prevent these acts from being repeated in any stadium.”

Qatar defeated Mexico 1-0 in the match, with both teams advancing to the Gold Cup knockout phase.

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USMNT to replace Alan Sonora on Gold Cup roster due to injury

Soñora may not be the only squad change

The U.S. men’s national team had a mostly successful Gold Cup group stage, but the news wasn’t entirely positive.

Shortly after overseeing a second consecutive 6-0 victory, interim coach B.J. Callaghan delivered some unwanted news: midfielder Alan Soñora’s tournament is over due to a hamstring injury.

“In terms of the roster updates, right now, Alan Soñora will be replaced due to a hamstring injury,” Callaghan told reporters after the match. “I don’t have the replacement yet.”

Soñora left the USMNT’s win over St. Kitts and Nevis at halftime, and was not in uniform against the Soca Warriors on Sunday.

The rules of the Gold Cup allow teams to replace injured players following their group stage games, up to 24 hours before their quarterfinal match kicks off. That leaves the USMNT until July 8 to make their move.

Per CONCACAF, the injury must be enough to keep a player out of play for at least 15 days, and that severity must be approved by the federation’s medical committee. Tournament regulations also require the USMNT to call up a player from its initial 60-man preliminary roster.

USMNT evaluating others for knockout round

Soñora’s status may be clear, but Callaghan has other players to monitor in the coming days.

U.S. Soccer announced earlier on Sunday that Aidan Morris had been granted permission to leave camp for what it called “personal reasons,” and Callaghan declined to offer much detail.

“I don’t have anything further to add to the Aidan Morris issue other than he requested to leave camp for personal reasons, and we granted [that],” said Callaghan, adding that the timetable on the Columbus Crew midfielder’s return is “open.”

Callaghan said he would also be evaluating forward Jordan Morris and center back Miles Robinson, calling both “day-to-day.” Robinson started for the USMNT in their 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, playing 45 minutes before being replaced by Matt Miazga.

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