Canada proves to be real test for U.S. despite elimination loss at Gold Cup

The Canadian men’s team on Sunday was on the verge of recording its first victory over the United States on American soil since 1957. 

But after putting in a brilliant team performance in battling the Americans to a 2-2 draw following 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, the Canadians couldn’t quite hold their nerve against their southern neighbours, losing 3-2 in a dramatic shootout in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium. 

While Canada will claim the moral victory and head home with its head held high, the U.S. moves on and will meet Panama in Wednesday’s semifinals in San Diego. 

Here’s what happened during Sunday’s match between Canada and Guadeloupe in case you missed it… 

GAME RECAP IN A SENTENCE     

Canada equalized in second-half injury time and then took the lead in the 109th minute, only to concede an own-goal four minutes later before succumbing to the Americans in a penalty shootout. 

MAIN STORYLINE 

Canada didn’t win, but it did gain something valuable 

A 4-2 win over Cuba in its final first round match allowed Canada to advance to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup. But by virtue of finishing second place in Group D, the Canadians set themselves up to face the United States, the tournament’s top seed and defending champions. Had Canada finished atop Group D, it would’ve had a much easier test vs. Jamaica in the quarterfinals. 

But Canadian coach John Herdman wasn’t moaning about having to face the Americans. In fact, he was quite pleased with how things turned out. 

“We were pretty clear coming into this match (about) which team we wanted to play and what game we wanted to experience in the Gold Cup. The football Gods have given us our derby match (vs. the U.S.),” Herdman said after the win over Cuba.  

Herdman understands that the path of least resistance at this Gold Cup wouldn’t have helped his team. A matchup against Jamaica would’ve meant an easier path to the final, but Herdman is playing the long game here. Canada is getting set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he doesn’t want a repeat of last year in Qatar where the Reds were eliminated after three losses. He’s preparing Canada to be competitive and make a lasting impression on home soil in three years. 

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In order for Canada to do that, in order to get to the next level, and in order to truly establish itself as the “Kings of Concacaf,” it needs to test itself against the best teams in the world. The U.S. is 11th in the current FIFA world rankings, while Canada is 45th. However, the gap seemed razor thin on Sunday, as Herdman’s side pushed the U.S. to the brink of elimination.   

For 120 minutes, Canada traded blows with the U.S. and prevented them from getting a firm hold on the game before the hometown fans in Cincinnati. The Canadian midfield and defence were perfectly aligned in shutting down the Americans’ high-powered attack, especially tournament top scorer Jesus Ferreira. When the U.S. did have good looks on goal, it was routinely thwarted by Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. 

When the U.S. took the lead in the 88th minute, Canada’s heart appeared to be broken. But the visitors were given a lifeline when American defender Miles Robinson was judged to have handled the ball in injury time. Steven Vitória equalized from the penalty spot, and suddenly the U.S. looked desperate as the game continued on. 

Canada found a new gear in extra time thanks to the dynamic attacking play of Jacob Shaffelburg who gave his country the lead in the 109th minute. That goal stunned the Cincinnati crowd into silence, before it came back to life after the U.S. levelled the score courtesy of a Scott Kennedy own-goal. 

The U.S. ultimately prevailed in the penalty shootout. But the hosts were made to earn it against a resolute Canadian team that showed it can hang with the top nation in the Concacaf region. 

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When speaking to reporters after Sunday’s loss, Herdman doubled down on his comments from earlier in the week about wanting to play the U.S. Even in defeat, Canada’s coach rightly saw plenty of value in how his team performed on the night. 

“It’s the game we wanted. Coming into this tournament, the players, the staff, the fans — Canada wanted to play the U.S. more than any team… I’m really proud of my (guys). They dug in, they showed quality at times. We were able to test our depth as a squad and show that there’s depth for 2026. There are players that with more opportunity can push and hopefully take that next step in their football careers,” Herdman said. 

BEST GOAL OF THE GAME     

Substitute Jacob Shaffelburg gave Canada the lead in the 109th with a highlight-reel individual effort. After the U.S. lost possession just inside the Canadian half, the ball came to Shaffelburg who effortlessly galloped down the left side as he breezed past an American defender before arrowing a shot from inside the penalty area past goalkeeper Matt Turner and inside the far post. It was Shaffelburg’s first international goal for his country. 

STAT OF THE GAME

BEST QUOTE   

“While it’s painful — it really is painful to be up 2-1 in extra time — you then look on the other side and see (several young players) coming in and having big performances. Obviously, Jacob Shaffelburg, for me, he knocked it out of the park coming into the game.” — John Herdman. 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CANADA 

The Canadian men’s team doesn’t currently have any friendly games on its schedule, and unless that changes it won’t return to action until November when 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League qualifying begins. 

THREE STARS OF THE GAME 

1) Dayne St. Clair (Canada): The Canadian goalkeeper was absolutely brilliant in only his fourth appearance for his country, making six saves over 120 minutes, including a pair of stops that robbed the Americans of sure goals. 

2) Gianluca Busio (United States): The American midfielder ran himself ragged for 120 minutes and finished with a game-high eight shots. He also converted his attempt in the penalty shootout.  

3) Jacob Shaffelburg (Canada): He gave the Canadians an instant lift when he came off the bench in the 86th minute with his pace and dynamic play. Scored what appeared to be the winner in extra time.  

John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.

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