USMNT outlasts Canada, reaches Gold Cup semis with wild shootout win
It took some 88 minutes to burst into action but, once it did, Sunday's Gold Cup quarterfinal between the United States and Canada evolved into a barn burner with enough twists and turns for an entire tournament.
The Americans, the reigning champions, eventually emerged with a narrow 3-2 win on penalties after the CONCACAF rivals played out a chaotic 2-2 draw over 120 minutes. Matt Turner was the shootout hero, making two saves to help his side advance to the semifinals against Panama on Wednesday.
Charles-Andreas Brym's spot-kick crashing against the crossbar was the final act in a topsy-turvy encounter that went from nondescript to totally frenetic.
Brandon Vazquez, the FC Cincinnati striker playing in front of his home crowd at TQL Stadium, thought he had sealed the win for the U.S. with the contest's opening goal, a powerful header off a beautiful looping cross from DeJuan Jones, in the 88th minute.
Instead, that was just the beginning.
Canadian captain Steven Vitoria sent the match to extra time with a penalty in the 93rd minute after a handball by Miles Robinson. The 36-year-old's effort was Canada's first shot on target of the game.
John Herdman's team took the lead with its second.
Seemingly invigorated by the dramatic equalizer, Canada grabbed the advantage when Jacob Shaffelburg unleashed a howitzer in the 109th minute. His left-footed rocket, which took a deflection off Matt Miazga's calf and flew beyond Turner, came after a long solo run that started in midfield. It was Shaffelburg's first international goal. But the Canadian celebrations didn't last long - an unfortunate own goal by defender Scott Kennedy in the 114th minute sent the tilt to penalties.
Turner started off the shootout by turning Vitoria aside - this time standing his ground as the Canadian again tried to slot the ball straight down the middle - and also stymied Liam Fraser en route to the victory.
"We were so close," Herdman said after the match. "They're resolute, they don't give up," he added of the Americans, who also beat Canada in the recent Nations League final.
Herdman and U.S. interim boss B.J. Callaghan made one change each to their respective lineups following their group stage finales; the former's decision to bring veteran defender Vitoria back into the mix, though, facilitated a wholesale change of system, as Canada reverted to a 3-5-2 setup. That helped to mostly nullify Jesus Ferreira, who came into the match having scored a hat-trick in two consecutive games.
While Canada looked far more sturdy defensively than in earlier tournament matches, the Americans largely dictated the tempo. They outshot the visiting side 21-5 overall and forced Canadian netminder Dayne St. Clair into seven stops, including one outstanding reaction save on a flicked header from close range by Miazga. The U.S. controlled 67% of the possession, too.
But Canada felt aggrieved after not being awarded a penalty on the brink of halftime, when the game was goalless, for another handball incident involving Robinson. Though the defender appeared to handle the ball inside the area, something the video assistant referee instructed the on-field official to review, Canadian Moise Bombito was adjudged to have committed a foul on the play, negating the handball incident.
After a largely mundane opening stanza, that moment, and a minor fracas that ensued between the players on the way to the tunnel for the interval, sparked the match into life, setting the stage for the hectic second half - along with extra time and the shootout - that followed.
The U.S. has now reached the Gold Cup semis 12 straight times since being eliminated by Colombia, an invited tournament guest, in the quarterfinals in 2000. Beat Panama on Wednesday, and the United States will then take on either Jamaica or bitter rival Mexico in the final on July 16.