Concacaf Gold Cup

U.S. Soccer morale isn’t too high across the board right now. On the women’s side the USWNT has done anything but impress at the 2020 Olympics with one decent performance and two horror shows. Meanwhile on the men’s side, the B-team is grinding out Gold Cup results and is preparing for its biggest challenge yet, Qatar.

USMNT

I’ve seen several posts online from fans in agreement that they would rather lose to Mexico 5-0 than fall to Qatar at home. I would have to agree in all honesty.

A beautifully chaotic Gold Cup quarterfinal between the USMNT and Jamaica produced a dramatic winner on Sunday night in Arlington after 20-year-old forward Matthew Hoppe earned the Americans’ passage to the semis with a header in the 83rd minute.   

With an average age of 23 and average cap collection of just 12, there was a question of nerves — especially after a large crowd at AT&T Stadium had belted out "The Star-Spangled Banner" to animate the enormity of the occasion. 

For the first time since 2007, Canada is back in the semifinals of the Gold Cup after a commanding 2-0 win over Costa Rica at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday night.  

The immediate consequence is that Canada plays Mexico on Thursday at NRG Stadium in Houston. The long-term implication is that Canada, heading into 2022 World Cup qualifying, can make a serious claim as to now being Concacaf’s third-best team.

Thanks to Chaka Rodríguez’s 26th-minute goal, Mexico defeated El Salvador 1-0 on Sunday night and won Gold Cup Group A, meaning that the United States and El Tri can’t possibly meet until the final. 

But based on the evidence of the group stage, if either side overlooks their opponents in the quarterfinals or semifinals, they’re going home. 

Gianluca Busio stood in the center circle at Children's Mercy Park on Sunday afternoon, awaiting the whistle to kick-off the USMNT’s Gold Cup group finale against Canada. 

When it sounded, the 19-year-old moved the ball to James Sands on the backline. The defender launched it forward at Sam Vines, who initiated a bit of head tennis that allowed the U.S. to suddenly overwhelm the left-hand side numerically.

Daryl Dike scored twice to help the U.S. men's national team to a 6-1 victory against Martinique in Kansas City, Kan., on Thursday - a win that advanced the U.S. to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The U.S. and Canada qualified from the four-team Group B with 2-0-0 records and six points, with one match left. They will play Sunday in Kansas City with the top spot at stake.

Haiti and Martinique, each with a pair of losses, also play Sunday, in Frisco, Texas.