CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Final: USA 0-5 Mexico

The CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 did not come across as one of the most awaited competition of this summer. Yet it ended in stunning fashion. If the contested final between USA and Mexico was expected, the scoreline was not. On the day that Liverpool and Manchester United recorded huge pre-season wins, the CONCACAF final conspired to bring the most amazing result.

Ochoa and Vela elated - Image from Associated Press

A 5-0 scoreline will fill El Tri with confidence and motivation going into next month's crucial World Cup qualifier at the Azteca Stadium. A 105,000 cauldron of Mexican colours which should eclipse the 70,000+ crowd at the Giants Stadium on Sunday.

Rapid-fire goals in the second half from captain Torrado, Gio dos Santos, Vela emphasized the underlying knowledge that although Team USA made the Gold Cup final, players from this feeder squad (bar Stuart Holden) will not be in the final Team USA World Cup roster.

Jose Antonio Castro and Guillermo Franco merely added further gloss to a comprehensive victory over the Americans. It snapped Team USA's 58-match unbeaten run in CONCACAF competitions and similarly broke a 10-year winning spell against the Mexicans.

Here are my top 3 reasons why Mexico are the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions.

1. Speed and Movement of the Mexican attack
Right from the first whistle, the Mexican's speedy attack had the American defence backpedalling. The dribbling skills and pace of Gio dos Santos proved too hot for the likes of Pearce and Heaps. Every time Gio had the ball, he was penetrative and looked capable of creating something magical. The clever movement of the Mexican forward line also made it very difficult for the American defenders to pick them up. Utilising their speed and movement, Mexico frequently got behind the US defence and was a constant danger to the US backline.

2. Second Half Introduction of Carlos Vela
Having played in the U-17 World Cup winning side with Gio dos Santos, two of the La Generacion de Oro displayed their amazing telepathic understanding and tore Team USA apart. Vela had two assists and one goal, producing a performance only bettered by Gio. If the US dealt manfully with the skills of Gio in the first half, they had no answer when faced with twin terrors on both flanks in the second half.

3. The Inexperience and Naivety of Team USA
The enthusiasm and determination that were so strongly in display against Panama and Honduras worked against the Americans in this match. Team USA attacked relentlessly after going a goal down against Panama and was duly rewarded. Against Mexico, that proved detrimental as the Mexicans exploited all the vacant space left behind as the Americans poured forward. The youth, inexperience and naivety of US were laid bare and they could not recover from a three-goal salvo. Bob Bradley's immediate tactical change bringing on Santino Quaranta and Kenny Cooper further isolated the defence from midfield, allowing Mexico to use the space in between to great effect. The first goal gave Mexico the chance to sit on their lead, make Team USA come forward and look to counter attack. Team USA, through its inexperience and naivety fell into that trap and paid the price for it.

The killer second goal from Gio - Image from Reuters

The Official website of the 2009 Gold Cup named the award winners and 18-man select Gold Cup team. The choice of selection was made by the Technical Study Group (TSG), a panel of former players and coaches who spent their time analyzing and discussing the tactical aspects of all the Gold Cup contenders.

El Tri recovering well after the Sven "mistake" - Image from AFP

Award Winners
Most Valuable Player Award: Giovani dos Santos (MEX)
Golden Boot Award: Miguel Sabah (MEX)
Best Goalkeeper Award: Keilor Navas (CRC)
Fair Play Award: United States

All-Tournament Team
Goalkeepers
Keilor Navas (CRC)
Guillermo Ochoa (MEX)

Defenders
Mike Klukowski (CAN)
Freddy Fernandez (CRC)
Fausto Pinto (MEX)
Luis Moreno (PAN)
Clarence Goodson (USA)
Chad Marshall (USA)

Midfielders
Julian de Guzman (CAN)
Celso Borges (CRC)
Stephane Auvray (GLP)
Gerardo Torrado (MEX)
Giovani dos Santos (MEX)
Stuart Holden (USA)

Forwards
Alvaro Saborio (CRC)
Walter Martinez (HON)
Miguel Sabah (MEX)
Kenny Cooper (USA)

Fifth Gold Cup title for the overjoyed El Tri - Image from Mexsports

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 : Semifinals Results

Team USA advances to CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Will Face a Confident Mexico who outlasted the Ticos

CHICAGO, July 24 — Mexico beat Costa Rica on penalties in a tense semi-final yesterday to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final where they will play the United States, 2-0 victors over Honduras. Costa Rica's Froylan Ledezma went from hero to villain, equalising in injury time at 1-1 but then missing the penalty in the shootout that cost his team a place in the final.

Ledezma puts the ball past Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa - Getty Images

Costa Rica had plenty of chances to get the lead against Mexico, Armando Alonso hit the post in the 12th minute, but Mexico should have been ahead at the break when Giovani Dos Santos headed wide from in front of goal.

Mexico were awarded a penalty in the 58th minute when Costa Rica defender Freddy Fernandez was ruled to have handled the ball but Miguel Sabah's soft penalty was easily saved by Keilor Navas.

The Mexicans looked to have grabbed a fortunate victory when they went ahead in the 88th minute, Guillermo Franco scrambling the ball home, but the celebrations from the large Mexican crowd at Soldier Field proved premature.

In the second minute of injury time Ledezma raced on to a flick on from Alvaro Saborio, ran past the hesitating Mexican defence and rocketed home a fine shot.

Again Costa Rica had the better opportunities in extra-time but with no breakthrough the game was decided by spot kicks — Ledezma being the only man failing to score.

The forward's well struck penalty was superbly saved by Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa and Carlos Vela kept his cool to give the Mexicans a chance at revenge for their loss to the United States in the final two years ago.

Enjoy the video highlights at the end of this post!

In the earlier semifinal, goals from Clarence Goodson and Kenny Cooper took the United States into the final of the tournament, for North and Central America and the Caribbean teams, for the third consecutive edition.

Honduras had the better of the early exchanges, going close in the 20th minute with a well-struck effort from Marvin Chavez that was tipped over the bar by Troy Perkins.

Stuart Holden had two assists - Getty Images

Midfielder Stuart Holden was impressive again and in the 43rd minute produced a curling free-kick that Donis Escobar tipped over and then Brian Ching struck the bar with a deflected effort. The pressure paid off on the stroke of half-time when defender Goodson rose well to head home Holden's corner. Honduras were unable to create many chances despite having plenty of midfield possession although Carlos Costly might have done better with a close range effort in the 83rd minute, which Perkins did well to block.

Team USA into the Gold Cup Final - Getty Images

In the final minute, Ching back-heeled to Holden who played a low ball across the face of the goal that was turned in by substitute Cooper.

The final will be held at Giants Stadium in New York this Sunday. — Reuters

Semifinal #1: USA vs. Honduras (Video Highlights)


Semifinal #2: Costa Rica vs. Mexico (Video Highlights)

Video highlights are from www.eplmatches.com. More footy video highlights of all kinds can be found there.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Quarterfinal #4: Mexico 4-0 Haiti

As mentioned in the previous post, Day 2 of Gold Cup quarterfinal action brought a flurry of goals. Mexico faced a Haitian side who could upset them if the Tricolor were not in top form. Fortunately, Mexico picked the right moment to peak and crushed Haiti 4-0. Gio dos Santos was the pick of the Mexican players, scoring one and assisting in two others.

Pablo Barrera coming on and scoring - Image from Reuters

Giovani dos Santos salutes the fans support - Image from Reuters

Mexico now meets Costa Rica in the semifinals on Thursday.
How apt that it is in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois that will be the coliseum for the Gold Cup semifinal wars.

Below is an excellent player assessment done by Joel Aceves in Goal.com.

Mexico

Guillermo Ochoa (7) - The club America goal keeper had a very quiet game as Haiti posed very little threat on goal. Still, Ochoa did well to keep a clean sheet by resolving the few problems created by the Haitians; especially early in the second-half when the Mexican defense appeared to be caught napping.

Johnny Magallon (6) The Chivas defender continues looking for his old form of which he delivered a few glimpses. Overall, Magallon had a decent match perhaps helped by the fact that Haiti played a very defensive match-up.

Ismael Rodriguez (5) Rodriguez had a regular performance seemed shaky at times and was lucky to not have a penalty kick call against him twenty minutes into the second-half. The America defender will have to pick up his slack for the semi-finals because Costa Rica will not be as forgiving.

Efrain Juarez (5) Regular performance by Juarez who had a few runs into attack but was lacking in accuracy and could have contributed more to the teams attack. Defensively Juarez did his job.

Fausto Pinto (5) The Cruz Azul defender posted a decent performance and was rarely called into action. With Mexico’s victory already in the bag, Pinto was subbed out for Guiller Franco.

Gerardo Torrado (6) The Tricolor team captain was solid in midfield. Defensively, Torrado did well to disrupt the Haitians attack. Still, the Cruz Azul midfielder continues to have problems with his ball distribution.

Israel Castro (5) Castro had a regular performance but was overshadowed by his bad penalty kick shot; which Sabah rescued to open the scoring. Castro shook off his miss in the second-half but went largely unnoticed.

Carlos Esquivel (6) The Toluca striker had a good game but was not as imposing as expected. Equivel combined with medina; who set up Gio for the goal. Other than that we could have seen the last match for Esquivel as the likes of Vela, Bravo, and Franco patiently wait for their turn.

Alberto Medina (6) The silky Medina played his best match of the Gold Cup; cementing his position in the starting eleven. The Chivas striker missed a goal early on the match but made up for it with a cheeky pass to Gio; who doubled Mexico’s lead.

Giovani dos Santos: (8) Gio, highly regarded as Mexico’s best player throughout the Gold Cup, finally managed to find the back of the net with a superb strike, in the 42nd minute, to double Mexico’s lead. Gio continued to guide Mexico’s attack by setting up both Sabah and Barrera with well placed corner kick crosses.

Miguel Sabah (8) The Morelia striker finally had his breakthrough performance by bagging a double. Sabah opened the scoring, in the 23rd minute, after rescuing a poor penalty kick shot by Castro and then gave Mexico a comfortable three-goal lead after heading in a corner kick cross by Gio.

Substitutes
Pablo Barrera (7) The Pumas striker replaced Esquivel in the second-half and proved to be far more productive. Barrera capped his performance with a world class goal after connecting a Giovani corner kick cross with a right footed volley to seal Mexico’s victory.

Guillermo Franco (5) El “Guille” Franco played his first minutes of the Gold Cup, after coming in for Fausto Pinto in the second-half, and contributed as Haiti’s punching bag. The unemployed striker did well to hold the ball and even better to take quite a few late tackles.

Jose Antonio “Gringo” Castro (5) El Gringo Castro replaced Sabah in the 80th minute when the match had long been resolved.

Haiti
Jean Zephirin 6 - Had a very busy night earning his pay. The game could have well been 5-0 by half time but Zephirin kept his team in the game in the early stages. Zephirin had a good game but he had no help from his defense leading to the 4 goals.

Raymond Ednerson 6 - Had good runs down the left flank and beat his marker but his services never created any danger

Frantz Gilles 4 - Had problems keeping pace with the “Cristiano Ronaldo of Mexico”, Pablo Barrera.

Judelin Aveska 3 - Saved a goal from going in but at the same time conceded a penalty which led to the first goal. Lost his man on the third goal and almost committed a silly foul

Pierre Bruny 4 - Did not do very well with the line defense that Haiti was showing. The Mexicans were beating him with their runs.

Frantz Bertin 4.5 - Saved a potential goal in which Giovani Dos Santos was already winding up to take the shot but Bertin poked it away.

James Marcelin 4 - Lost Pablo Barrera off a corner which resulted in a great goal from Pablo Barrera.

Vaniel Sirin 5.5 - Earned a yellow card early in the game which impeded any physical challenges for the rest of the game. Had one of the best shots but it was thrown out to a corner by Guillermo Ochoa.

Mones Chery 3 - Was practically a no show for the Haitian offense as he could do nothing down the right flank.

Leonel Saint-Preux 5.5 - Preux was active up top but lacked the finishing power and also seemed to take his shot’s too early. Was brought down inside the box in what looked to be a penalty but it was never called

Fabrice Noel 6 - Had a clear chance early in the second chance but he waited too long to have a go. In that same play he had another clear shot on goal where he slid into the ball instead of giving it power, where Ochoa made an easy save.

Substitutes
Markorel Sampeur 4-Had a go in the dying minutes but his shot went wide, after that he had no more influence in the game.

Brunel Fucien 4.5 - Had a good look at goal halfway through the second half. He threw himself at the ball though and gave it no direction

Robin Jerome - N/A

From Joel Aceves, Goal.com
Go over to Goal.com for great coverage on the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Quarterfinal #3: Costa Rica 5-1 Guadeloupe

If the 1st day quarterfinals action were dreary but tense affairs, the second day of Gold Cup quarterfinal action turned out to be goal-fests.

Quarterfinal #3 pitted Guadeloupe against the unpredictable Costa Rica and the impact turned out be a magical five goal fest. Celso Borges scored with a spectacular bicycle kick in the third minute. Alvaro Saborio scored in the 16th and 71st minutes, running from deep positions to head home from Alvaro Alonso's cross in the first half and latching onto a long clearance from the back by Borges for his second goal. Costa Rica has now advanced to Thursday's semifinals for the first time since 2003.

Costa Rica's Alvaro Saborio scoring - Image from Reuters

Saborio celebrates - Image from Reuters

Andrea Martinez from Goal.com provided the following ratings for the 22 players on the pitch for Quarterfinal #3.

Costa Rica
Keilor Navas 5- Didn’t have to do much, but on guard for the occasional effort.

Harold Wallace 5 - Good coverage, had an occasional slip that gave the Guadeloupe’s hope.

Freddy Fernandez 5 - Covered the back quite well.

Dennis Marshall 5 - Didn’t have too much trouble keeping Guadeloupe away.

Dario Delgado 5 - Along with the rest of the back line, kept Guadeloupe away, although occasionally pace would over take them.

Celso Borges 6 - Opened the score with great style, kept working hard, and provided much help on the goals.

Christian Oviedo 5 -A quiet force in the game.

Armando Alonso 6 -Provided the assists for goals, and worked tirelessly to try and provide more up front.

Andy Herron 5.5 - Scored a goal, and worked hard during the game.

Alvaro Saborio 6 - Played his part in the game, and had two goals to show for it.

Pablo Brenes 4.5 - Had a decent showing, but didn’t have too much of an influence.

Substitutes
Pablo Herrera 5 - Only a minute after coming into the game he was overtaken and had fault for Guadeloupe’s goal. He scored the fifth goal.

Froylan Ledezma 4.5 - Kept on trying to add more goals, and assisted with the fifth.

Warren Granados - N/A

Guadeloupe
Marius Fausta 4.5 - A poor showing, but saved a few efforts from Costa Rica.

Cedric Avinel 4 - Was outpaced several times during.

Miguel Comminges 4 - Made several mistakes.

Mickael Tacalfred 4.5 - Was absent from defensive duties.

Eddy Viator 4 - Gave everything away to easily.

Aurelien Capoue 4.5 - Tirelessly sent in crosses, worked down the field, but nothing came of it.

Thomas Gamiette 4 - Tried to play the game, but committed too many fouls that hurt the team more.

Stephane Auvray 6 - The best on the field for Guadeloupe. All the balls went through and seemed to be like the only one trying to create anything.

Larry Clavier 5.5 - Tried tirelessly to help out the team. His great pace on the right troubled the Costa Rican defense, and he took advantage of the for Guadeloupe’s goal.

Loic Loval 4 - Missed a lot of chances. Kept on trying to do diving headers but it did not work out, and he seemed to spend more time on the floor.

Alexandre Alphonse 4.5 - Wasn’t present for most of the game, but showed up to score Guadeloupe’s lone goal.

Substitutes
Michael Antoine-Courier 3.5 - Missed a chance for goal when he first was subbed on.

Gregory Gendrey - N/A

Jean-Luc Lambourde - N/A

Player ratings by Andrea Martinez, Goal.com

CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal #2: USA 2-1 Panama (aet)

FOXSports.com reported the match like this,

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Worn down and undermanned, the United States found a way to rally. Now the Americans remain in position to win their third straight CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Kenny Cooper converted a penalty kick in the 105th minute, giving the two-time defending champions a 2-1 victory over Panama and a semifinal berth against Honduras, which beat Canada 1-0 in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

Kenny Cooper slots home the winning penalty - Image from Reuters

Goal.com's Zac Lee Rigg had the chance to rate the players on show.

United States
Troy Perkins 6
Hardly had anything to do.

Jay Heaps 5
Looked shaky at times, but luckily for the veteran, Barahona preferred to cut in centrally rather than take him on.

Jimmy Conrad 7
A powerful, stern display for nearly the first 45. One of his tackles saved a certain goal. On the stroke of half, the USA captain bludgeoned his own face into the head of a defender and went off with a gnarly concussion.

Chad Marshall 6
The powerful defender was essential to repelling Panama's long ball game that the team resorted to in the second half. It's nearly impossible to beat Marshall in the air, even when he hyper-extends his knee, as he did in this game.

Heath Pearce 6
Looked sharp going forward, he linked up well with others to press the issue in the second half.

Stuart Holden 6
Was involved in all three goals: Shanked a clearance to let Panama go ahead, stepped over the ball to let Beckerman score the equalizer, and fed Cooper for the winner.

Logan Pause 6
Another tidy, quiet performance from the Chicago Fire man. He doesn't make any game-altering mistakes, but neither does Pause impose himself on games to help ensure victory.

Kyle Beckerman 7
Gave his customary robust and active performance, and added his first international goal for good measure. His displays haven't warranted all the praise he's been given, but it's difficult to argue with the ferocity of the equalizer.

Robbie Rogers 5
Stunted down the left, Rogers never displayed his blazing pace or one-on-one ability. He did play the looping cross that led to the USA's first goal.

Brian Ching 6
Hit the post early on, and from then on out it was a physical, gritty performance as the Hawaiian threw himself around. Offered very little holdup play to help string U.S. attacks together.

Davy Arnaud 7
Had a quietly sharp game. His slick vision and movement helped un-gum the Panama defense early in the first half with a handful of positive plays.

Substitutions
Clarence Goodson 5
Immediately upon coming on, Goodson lost a header that led to the Panama goal. He settled down in the second half for a decent display.

Kenny Cooper 6
Won and scored the game-winning penalty, but wasted a series of chances he should have buried.

Brad Evans N/A


Panama
Jamie Penedo 6
Made a couple solid saves, including one top notch diving one, but conceded twice.

Luis Moreno 7
Largely contained the speedster Rogers with superior positional play and a tidy match at right back.

Felipe Baloy 8
A wall. Abused Ching all night long to suck any longevity out of the U.S. attacks. A towering presence, Baloy was unlucky to be on the losing side. Sent off after the match for arguing God-knows-what with the referee.

Roman Torres 5
Gave up the penalty with a silly and reckless challenge, undoing all of Panama's hard work up to that point.

Armando Gun 5
Misfired in the rare times he ventured forward, Gun largely stated back to try to deal with the U.S. attack.

Rolando Escobar 5
Largely quiet on the right flank. Provided solid service, but didn't enforce himself on the game enough.

Manuel Torres 5
Wasn't nearly as flashy as the bottom tip of his dyed hair, and he faded into the background of the midfield battle.

Gabriel Gomez 5
Anonymous aside from a silly pull-down of Pause.

Nelson Barahona 7
Dictated play in the early goings with a bright, energetic beginning. As the game wore on, the youngster faded, and his influence diminished along with his energy.

Jose Luis Garces 7
Showed excellent movement and linkup play to keep the Panama attack ticking over nicely. Garces seemed composed whenever he touched the ball, making positive things happen.

Blas Perez 7
The first 45 was a tale of blistering pace, unsettling directness, acrobatic agility that led to the opening goal, and a troubled defense. The second 45 was one of exhaustion and no impact.

Substitutions
Ricardo Phillips 6
Looked bright and direct upon coming in. He caused a few problems down the right flank for Pearce.

Victor Herrera N/A
Luis Tejada N/A

From Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com

CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal #1: Canada 0-1 Honduras

This was reported in FOXSports.com.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Walter Martinez helped Honduras temporarily put aside thoughts of the political turmoil in its country with a goal in the 36th minute of the first half to beat Canada 1-0 and advance into the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal.

Honduras will play the United States on Thursday in Chicago.

Walter Martinez slots home the controversial penalty - Image from Associated Press

Zac Lee Rigg from Goal.com had the privilege of rating the players on the pitch.

Canada
Greg Sutton 7
Showed some excellent shot-stopping ability to keep the score down.

Paul Staltieri 4.5
A shaky performance. Nearly gave away a penalty in the second minute for handling Medina, and then did concede one for the game's only goal, although that was was a tad harsh. Failed to offer anything going forward, and never looked comfortable in defense.

Dejan Jakovic 6
A composed, calming influence in the heart of Canada's defense, Jakovic's distribution was slightly off today.

Kevin Mckenna 6
Hit the post late on with a header that would have tied the game. Aside from picking up a yellow for dissent and that header, he was largely anonymous.

Michael Klukowski 7
Came into the game more and more, giving a bright performance down the left. His bursting runs up the flank were a valuable outlet for the Canucks.

Will Johnson 5
Wasted two of Canada's best chances before being hauled off for a more attacking option.

Patrice Bernier 5.5
Had a relatively quiet game. It was a crowded midfield, and Bernier was one who got lost in the pack.

Atiba Hutchinson 6
An active game, on both ends of the field. If his skill matched his physical ability, he'd be quite some player.

Julian De Guzman 8
That Canada has no one nearly as talented as De Guzman closer to the goal is the reason Gerba is so isolated up front. The most talented player on the pitch controlled the game and tempo, but was let down once he passed to a teammate.

Josh Simpson 6.5
Created Canada's best chances with some quality service from the left.

Ali Gerba 5
Didn't get even a glimpse of the ball as he was completely marked out of the game and given no service. Gerba didn't even see one of those half-chances he's been burying to bring Canada this far.

Substitutions
Jamie Peters 6
Was bright down the right upon coming on.

Simeon Jackson 5
Gave Canada another body in the box, but failed to convert his few chances.

Honduras
Donis Slatiel Escober 8.5
Canada came up against a masterclass in goalkeeping. Escober pulled off a series of clutch, reflex saves that almost singlehandedly put Honduras into the semifinals.

Nery Medina 7
Was charged with keeping Simpson quiet and largely succeeded. Medina gave a thorough, tight man marking performance.

Osman Chavez 7
Large and in charge. Nothing got past Chavez in the air, and Gerba couldn't find any scraps from the tough defender.

Erick Morales 6
Solid and compact at the back. Helped Honduras' fierce and resolute defensive display.

Carlos Alberto Palacios 5
Solid at the back but frequently gave the ball away in attack. It helped that Canada only threw on an attacker down the right flank for the last twenty minutes.

Marvin Chavez 6
Showed nice touches and explosive acceleration when he did get on the ball. The problem was that those moments were all too rare.

Mariano Acevedo 6
A tidy and solid performance in the central midfield role.

Melvin Valladares 6
Brought the ball out of the midfield triumphantly at times, but most of his game was concentrated on keeping defensive shape as Canada controlled possession.

Roger Espinoza 6
Hardly showed himself aside from an early yellow card.

Carlos Costly 7
Performed the target man role well, bringing others into play and sliding others through. He struggled to find service most of the game, but did well with what he was given.

Walter Martinez 7.5
His pace made Honduras' best chances, and he was a thorn in Canada' side as long as he was on the pitch. His ranking would be higher for an excellent counterattacking display from the Honduras captain and scorer of the game winner, but he proved rather wasteful in front of the net, when clinical finishing would have given him at least a hat-trick.

Substitutions
Alan Lalin N/A
Jonny Palacios N/A

From Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Results: Quarterfinal Preview

After nearly two weeks of Gold Cup 2009 group matches and a bizarre match involving Mexico, we have reached the quarterfinal knockout stages of the 2009 edition.

Five (USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras and Panama) of the top six FIFA-ranked CONCACAF teams have justified their standings and made it through to the last eight. Guadeloupe (who is not ranked in FIFA), Canada and the surprise package of Haiti will sought to disrupt the order of the game in the hope of continuing their fairytale Gold Cup run thus far.

Here, each of the quarterfinalists will be assessed on their chances of progressing to the semifinals.

Gold Cup 2009 Quarterfinal Matches
18th July

Quarterfinal #1: Canada vs. Honduras
Canada has impressed with their football in this year's Gold Cup. To emerge from the "Group of Death" as the unbeaten group leaders has made the other teams sit up and take notice.
Ali Gerba is in excellent form, the defence have looked tough and composed. The unmistakeable Julian de Guzman is running the show in midfield. Very tough and efficient unit to break down.

VS

Honduras finished second in Group B. They are the third highest scorers in the competition with five goals. Their defence let in two goals against the US but has maintained clean sheets against Haiti and Grenada. Carlos Costly and Martinez are key players for Honduras and will need some defensive attention. If Canada can also disrupt the supply and playmaking of Roger Espinoza then Honduras could find the going tougher than usual.

Prediction: Canada to upset Honduras and win this tight match.


Quarterfinal #2: United States vs. Panama
Team USA sent in a young squad for this year's Gold Cup campaign. So far, the team has not let him down. Stuart Holden being the standout performer thus far. Robbie Rogers and Beckerman are also living up to their potential. Team USA are capable of retaining the Gold Cup they won in 2007. They are the competition's top scorers with eight goals and with the best goal difference.

VS

Panama finished third in Group C and will find it hard against a strong and youthful United States. With as many as three first choice players suspended, Panama will field a weakened squad. However, they have a good pedigree in this competition and cannot be underestimated. Blas Perez and Luis Tejada have scored four of Panama's six goals. The US defence will have to pay special attention to this strike pairing.

Prediction: A come-from-behind win for the young USA team.

19th July

Quarterfinal #3: Guadeloupe vs. Costa Rica
Guadeloupe has looked impressive in Group C, winning two matches and losing only to Mexico. The Gwada Boyz will be looking to repeat their 2007 achievements and reach the semifinals again. Ludovic Gotin is suspended for this match and that could be the only negative for Guadeloupe. I think they will go one step further and subsequently reach the final this time.

VS

Costa Rica does not have the look of a consistent team in this Gold Cup. They qualified in second place in the "Group of Death" thanks only to the unexpected loss of El Salvador to Jamaica. So Los Ticos are lucky to be alive at this stage. Still you cannot discount the experience and talent in this squad. This will be a tough test for the Ticos.



Prediction: Guadeloupe to win this competitive matchup


Quarterfinal #4: Mexico vs. Haiti
Mexico have not set this tournament alight yet with their play. The Mexicans have shown plenty of resilience and determination against Nicaragua and Panama. In the group stage, El Tri have been playing like a team with immense pressure, afraid to make a mistake. Now, the shackles can come off and this team can finally show what it is capable of. Gio Dos Santos is the X-factor in this team and he will be looked upon for creativity and unpredictability. Omar Bravo is the willing and tireless worker. Carlos Vela should recover in time for this meeting with Haiti. Expect lots of goals in this one.

VS

Haiti was a late replacement after Cuba withdrew from this competition. They have shown that they are capable of matching and competing with CONCACAF's best. This was evident in their 2-2 draw with United States. Beating Grenada in the group stages underlines the quality that Haiti has. They will however find a liberated Mexico hard to contain and will let in a few goals.

Prediction: Mexico to go through comfortably

The semifinalists:
1. Canada
2. United States
3. Guadeloupe
4. Mexico

The finalists:
1. United States (at the expense of Canada)
2. Guadeloupe (beating Mexico)

Predicted Gold Cup 2009 Champions: United States

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group C: Panama 4-0 Nicaragua and Mexico 2-0 Guadeloupe

Panama demolish Nicaragua to book last quarter-final spot

GLENDALE (Arizona): Panama booked the last spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals against the United States with a 4-0 victory over Nicaragua in Group C on Sunday.

Mexico take top spot in the group after a 2-0 win over a Guadeloupe side who ended the game with nine men. The Mexicans will face Haiti in the last eight.

Both teams went into the game having already qualified and only top spot in the group at stake – Guadeloupe finish second and will face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals.

The other game in the last eight of the tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean features Canada against Honduras.

Panama, the Central America champions, had no trouble against a Nicaragua side who had to play the entire second half down to 10 men after Franklin Lopez was sent off for kicking Gabriel Gomez just before the break.

Panama were 1-0 up at the interval after Blas Perez slotted home in the 35th minute after some poor Nicaraguan defending.

Gabriel Gomez made it 2-0 in the 56th minute before Luis Tejada scored twice to complete the rout.

In the late game, Mexico took the lead through a superb strike from Gerardo Torrado three minutes before the break, the midfielder taking the ball down on his thigh before blasting home from more than 20m out.

Guadeloupe, who do not feature in World Cup competition as they are not a member of FIFA, went down to 10 men after Alain Vertot was sent off for a second yellow card in the 72nd minute.

Ludovic Gotin was dismissed shortly after for a studs-up challenge.

Miguel Sabah thundered in a header from a corner five minutes from the end to ensure victory for the Mexicans, who were without the leadership of manager Javier Aguirre.

Aguirre clashed with Panama midfielder Ricardo Phillips in their 1-1 draw on July 9 and was given a three-match suspension. — Reuters as taken from The Star Online.

Here are video highlights of both matches.

Panama vs. Nicaragua shared from Free Soccer Highlights

Mexico vs. Guadeloupe shared from Soccer Mania

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group B: Honduras 4-0 Grenada

TheStar Online reports on this one-sided Gold Cup 2009 match between Honduras and Grenada. Honduras will meet Canada next in the quarterfinals.

Honduras beats Grenada 4-0, advances in Gold Cup

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) - Walter Martinez scored in just the second minute as Honduras went on to thrash Grenada 4-0 on Saturday and secure a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals.

Honduras, which finished second in Group B to the United States, will play Group A winner Canada next Saturday in Philadelphia. The Americans will meet Jamaica or the third-place team in Group C.

Goals by Martinez and Roger Espinoza, both set up by Allan Lalin, gave Honduras a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Honduras' Martinez celebrates a Man of The Match performance - Image from Reuters

Melvin Valladares scored in the 56th minute when he headed in a Martinez a corner past Grenada goalkeeper Andray Baptiste.

Carlos Costly sealed the win with a penalty in the 67th minute. Baptiste stopped the first shot with his upper body, but Costly easily knocked in the rebound.

Honduras reached the Gold Cup semifinals in 2005, losing to the United States, which went on to win the tournament. In the last Gold Cup in 2007, Honduras was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Guadeloupe, which advanced to this year's quarterfinals.

Grenada played in its first Gold Cup this year.

Match Stats

				Honduras				Grenada
Shots on goal				7				8
Shots wide				3				3
Fouls				9				4
Corner Kicks				7				6
Offsides				1				2
Possession				51%				49%

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group B: USA 2-2 Haiti

ESPN Soccernet has this report on a thrilling match between USA and Haiti.

Holden's strike keeps U.S. unbeaten in group play

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The United States had just two minutes left to avoid its first loss ever in CONCACAF Gold Cup group play. Haiti was heading for its first win over an American team by since May 1969, when it won 1-0 in San Diego. Then Stuart Holden stepped up.

The Houston Dynamo midfielder sent a 25-foot shot past goalkeeper Jean Dominique Zephirin into the upper right corner in the first minute of second-half injury time, giving the United States a 2-2 tie Saturday night in its final first-round game.

Stuart Holden emotional after the equalising goal - Image from Reuters

"We were pushing the whole second half," said Holden, who also assisted on Davy Arnaud's goal in the sixth minute. "We kept knocking on the door and the chance fell to me." The Americans, seeking their third straight title in the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, finished first in Group B and will play Jamaica or the third-place team in Group C next Saturday in Philadelphia.

The United States (2-0-1), which already had clinched advancement, improved to 23-0-2 in Gold Cup group play. The United States once again started a young lineup, with goalkeeper Luis Robles, and midfielders Sam Cronin and Colin Clark making their first international appearances. So did 32-year-old defender Jay Heaps, a member of the New England Revolution and veteran of 301 MLS games.

Six of the starting 11 made their first national team starts, with those four joined by forward Arnaud and defender Brad Evans.

"The experience of today will be something that they can draw from" the rest of the tournament, U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "You use these three games to gain experience. You use these three games to get confident. We use some of the things that happened today as reminders."

Haiti (1-1-1) finished third in the group round and also advanced. The two best of the three third-place teams move on. Haiti had taken the lead with goals in the first four minutes of the second half by Sirin Vaniel and Mones Chery.

"What an irony," Haiti coach Jairo Rios said. "The poorest country in the world against what could be considered the superpower of the world and they (the Haitians) could be able to hold themselves on the field, demonstrating the real passion for the game from the players."

Holden set up the first goal with a short pass to Arnaud, who gathered it in at the top of the penalty area, to the left of defender Frantz Bertin. Arnaud then rolled a soft shot with his left foot to the right of Zephirin, who came out of the net to try and cut down the angle.

"Goals give anybody confidence," said Arnaud, who plays for the Kansas City Wizards. "It was a good start, but more importantly, I'm part of the group now." The United States controlled play for the first 40 minutes before Haiti became more aggressive.

"Before the tournament started everybody thought that we were just going to come and make a fool out of ourselves," Rios said. Haiti nearly tied the game in injury time at the end of the first half. A crossing pass from the left side eluded Fabrice Noel just in front of Robles. But the ball continued on to Vaniel, who fired a shot that Robles managed to kick out with his knee. Vaniel got it back but shot the ball off the outside of the net.

The Haitians didn't miss their next two big chances.

In the first minute of the second half, Leonel Saint Preaux sent a crossing pass from near the right corner that soared over the outstretched right hand of Robles. Vaniel got to it before it hit the ground and headed it into the net. A poor judgment play by Robles led to the next goal. He left his net to try and get to a ball to his left. Before he reached it, the ball was passed out to Chery. Robles raced back to get in position, but Chery sent a 25-foot shot into the upper left corner as the goalkeeper was still running in that direction.

Trailing, the U.S. inserted Charlie Davies in the 73rd minute and Brian Ching in the 76th. "When you begin the tournament, the goal is to win your group and advance," Bradley said. "So the first thing that we said after the game is, `We've accomplished that goal."

Match Stats

				United States				Haiti
Shots on goal				5				5
Shots wide				8				2
Fouls				14				11
Corner Kicks				8				4
Offsides				0				7
Possession				53%				47%

Match Commentary

Minute		Description
90' +3		Full Time and an incredible end to this match, it's 2-2 and Haiti must be heartbroken. Although they have drawn this match a point will be enough to see them through to a quarter final.
90' +2		Holden with a magnificent strike, goal of the tournament. You couldn't make this up if you tried and it's 2-2. Aveska kicks the ball away from Brian Ching that falls to Holden and he unleashes an unstoppable shot past a despairing dive from Zephirin.
90' +1		Free kick to USA and Haiti defending well, 3 minutes of added time.
90'		S. Holden has scored a goal for United States!
88'		Haiti clinging on, a mad scramble in the Haiti box and once again they clear. It's back to wall time for Haiti as the USA pour forward.
85'		Free kick to USA, Zephirin punches clear and rebounds to Davies who controls with his chest, turns and shoots but it's cleared by Haiti.
84'		M. Sampeur enters the game and replaces L. Saint-Preux.
83'		Heaps with a cross and Brian Ching with a header that Zephirin gathers with ease.
82'		Free kick to Haiti to relieve some pressure.
81'		Ten minutes left and Haiti hanging on. USA with all the possession, Haiti reduced to long clearances.

Minute		Description
80'		K. Beckerman gets yellow.
		Beckerman pulls the Jersey of Saint-Preux and that's a yellow card.
79'		A. Thermeus enters the game and replaces F. Noel.
		Noel limps off as Thermeus comes on.
77'		B. Ching enters the game and replaces C. Clark.
76'		Holden out to Cronin and his left foot strike goes wide.
75'		The two teams have met 15 times with the Stars & Stripes winning six, Haiti five and six encounters ending in draws. So Haiti do have the USA's number.
74'		Corner to USA, Holden with the corner kick and it's cleared.
73'		Sirin is down getting the magic sponge treatment.
70'		The USA knocking on the door . Haiti looking a little fragile here.
69'		Aveska with an awful header back to his keeper and Davies sneaks in and his shot goes just wide.
68'		Clark with some work down the left flank and Holden has a glancing header that goes just wide, good stuff here from the USA.
66'		Corner to USA and Arnaud with a chance but his effort is deflected for a second corner kick. Holden with the corner and Haiti defend well.
65'		Free kick to Haiti on the half way line. Results in open play.
63'		C. Davies enters the game and replaces K. Cooper.
		K. Beckerman enters the game and replaces S. Quaranta.
62'		Gilles gets a cross in and the USA defend well, corner to Haiti and Marcelin has a weak effort that goes wide, goal kick to the USA.
58'		As we all draw a breath you have to hand it to Haiti, they are still harassing every USA player when they have possession. Their tails are up and it's great entertainment.
55'		Haiti is the last Caribbean team to defeat the Stars & Stripes on US Soil, 1:0 in San Diego, during the 1970 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round.
52'		Haiti full value for their lead, an incredible match.
49'		M. Chery has scored a goal for Haiti!
		Incredible scenes here as Haiti continue to press forward, they score again as Heaps makes a bad clearance to Chery, he lets rip from 25-yards and it's in the top right hand corner, Robles is rooted to the spot and Haiti take a 2-1 lead.
46'		V. Sirin has scored a goal for Haiti! Great assist by L. Saint-Preux.
		Haiti get the second half underway. And Haiti have scored, Saint-Preux with a cross and Robles flaps at it and Sirin sneaks in at the back post and makes no mistake with a simple header.
45' +3		Haiti almost score at the death, Saint Preux crosses for Sirin who shoots and Robles makes a good save, the follow up shot goes out for a goal kick. A golden opportunity for Haiti to bring the scores level as the whistle goes for half time and it's 1-0 to the USA.
45'		Aveska heads out for a USA corner, Holden whips in the corner and Conrad heads just wide. 2 minutes of stoppage time.
43'		Corner to USA, cross comes in and Kenny Cooper rises to head the ball back across goal but it's a goal kick.
41'		Free kick to USA approximately 30-yards out, Quaranta wastes his delivery.
38'		Free kick to the USA, results in open play.
36'		Haiti pressing here for a goal.
31'		M. Parkhurst gets yellow.
		Parkhurst with a yellow bringing his opponent down just outside the area. Free kick to Haiti, Saint-Preux blazes it over the bar.
30'		Corner Haiti, headed away by the USA. A great game boiling up here.
29'		Back to the other end and Haiti almost score as Noel tries his luck from distance, Robles makes a hash of the catch and its heading toward the goal, Robles manages to get back push it away for a corner.
28'		Holden lets rip with a belter from a full 30-yards and hits the underside of the crossbar.
27'		D. Arnaud gets yellow.
		Yellow to Arnaud for tugging down Marcelin.
25'		Arnaud alone in the area, he chests it down but it gets away from him, goal kick.
23'		Cooper is pulled down in the area by Aveska, referee waves play on, corner kick. Heaps rises to head and it's over the bar.
20'		The finesse of the USA is being challenged by the precocious defending of Haiti. Some good strong challenges coming in from Haiti.
19'		These two countries have met before in CONCACAF Gold Cup action, you have to go back to the 2000 group stages when the USA cantered to a 3-0 victory over the ‘Les Grenadiers’
15'		Holden loses possession in his own half and Haiti put together a few good passes, sloppy play there from Holden.
13'		Free kick to Haiti, results in open play.
12'		The USA have their tails up while Cooper looks menacing down the right flank, goal kick to Haiti.
11'		Corner kick results in open play.
10'		Free kick to USA, Holden bends it in and it deflects for a corner.
9'		The USA is currently on an extraordinary run in this competition, they have won eleven consecutive games, a streak that stretches back to the 2005 Gold Cup.
8'		Free kick to USA, results in open play. A great start for the USA.
6'		D. Arnaud has scored a goal for United States! Great assist by S. Holden.
		USA have scored. Arnaud latches onto a through ball from Holden and slots past the despairing Zephirin.
5'		Haiti getting well forward in these opening exchanges.
4'		Clark lines one up and shoots from the edge of the area, it's too high and goes out for a goal kick.
3'		Corner kick to Haiti, Aveska with the cross and it goes out for another corner. Corner Kick comes in and Robles collects at the second attempt, nervous start for the USA.
2'		Free kick to Haiti after a high challenge from Cronin. Results in open play.
1'		USA get the first half underway. Your referee is Walter Quesada from Costa Rica and his assistants are Leonel Leal from Costa Rica and Ricardo Morgan from Jamaica. Your fourth official is Walter Lopez from Guatemala.
		Welcome to live commentary of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B encounter between USA and Haiti at the Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. The USA have never lost a Gold Cup group stage match and have already qualified for the quarter final stages. Haiti is still right in this group, a win or a draw will guarantee them a place in the last eight, a loss and they have to wait on other results.

Match Commentary and Stats are shared from www.goldcup.org.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group A: Jamaica 1-0 El Salvador

Cummings hits winner to eliminate El Salvador

Updated: July 10, 2009, 8:00 AM UK

MIAMI (AP) -- Omar Cummings' goal midway through the second half lifted previously winless Jamaica to a 1-0 victory over El Salvador in the final CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A match Friday night.

Cummings received Luton Shelton's pass from the left wing and converted on a shot past goalkeeper Miguel Montes in the 69th minute. The Jamaica victory clinched the group's second-place spot for Costa Rica, which tied group winner Canada 2-2 earlier Friday.

Canada and Costa Rica advanced to the quarterfinals, which begin July 18. El Salvador and Jamaica each finished with 1-2 records and three points in group play. El Salvador, which could have clinched the group's second spot with a win, had three opportunities at tying the match.

In the 84th minute, goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts deflected Rodolfo Zelaya's point-blank header inside the 6-yard box. Ricketts also stopped Zelaya's open shot inside the penalty area during stoppage time. With the fourth and final injury-time minute about to elapse, Montes left his goal area to attempt a free kick just outside the Jamaica penalty area.

Montes' shot hit the left goal post. Jamaica kept pressuring El Salvador's defense following Cummings' goal. Montes stopped Jason Morrison's open shot from 20 yards in the 79th minute and another unmarked attempt from Jermaine Johnson 5 minutes later.


This report is shared from ESPN Soccernet.