GOLD CUP SEMIFINAL- Qatar and Canada couldn’t stop the CONCACAF heavyweights from meeting in another final.
Qatar 0-1 USA
Hassan Al Haidos penalty miss in the 61st minute increased to its highest cost when Gyasi Zardes opened the scoring in the 86th minute to give USA a lead that stood to send them to the 2021 Gold Cup final.
USA were the favorites but Qatar put up a more than decent fight in the semifinal. This will be the third consecutive Gold Cup final for United States.
Mexico 2- 1 Canada.
Canada came from a goal down to force extra time.
Mexico conceded their first goal of the tournament when Tajon Buchanan scored in the 57th minute to cancel the lead Orbelin Pineda had given Mexico from the penalty spot in the dying minutes of the opening half of the match.
Some goalkeeping heroics from Maxime Crepeau kept Canada in the game. Crepeau saved Canada from conceding a few late goals after he had stopped Carlos Salcedo from restoring Mexico’s lead in the 66th minute from the penalty spot.
The stage is set for the final. August 1, 2021
2021 CONCACAF GOLD CUP FINAL
UNITED STATES vs MEXICO
Just like the last tournament, it is a ‘USA vs Mexico’ in the final. The CONCACAF heavyweights will face each other in the grand final.
The 2000 edition was the last final that didn’t have either one of the teams involved. Canada was the winner against Colombia.
Since then, United States has been in 9 finals while Mexico has been in 7. There have been 11 finals played since the 2000 final.
The 2007 edition was the last time USA won against Mexico in a Gold Cup Final. Since then, there has been three finals contested between the two; with Mexico winning all three.
A successful title defence for Mexico will mean a successive final defeat for United States [against Mexico]. The last time this happened was 10 years ago. United States has never beaten Mexico in successive finals.
