USMNT ADVANCES TO GOLD CUP SEMIFINAL WITH SHOOTOUT WIN AGAINST CANADA
GOALKEEPER MATT TURNER EARNED BUD LIGHT MAN OF THE MATCH HONORS AFTER TWO SAVES IN SHOOTOUT; BRANDON VAZQUEZ SCORED FOURTH INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN FRONT OF CLUB HOME CROWD; U.S. WILL FACE PANAMA ON WEDNESDAY IN SAN DIEGO AT 7:30 P.M. ET (FS1, UNIVISION, TUDN)
CINCINNATI (July 9, 2023) - After an intense match that ended in a 2-2 draw during extra time, the U.S. Men's National Team emerged victorious over Canada in a penalty shootout, thanks to two remarkable penalty kick saves by Matt Turner. The thrilling game unfolded before a lively crowd of 24,979 at TQL Stadium. With this triumph, the USMNT secures their spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals against Panama, scheduled for Wednesday, July 12 at SnapDragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif. (7:30 p.m. ET; FS1, Univision, TUDN).
Throughout regular time, goals were scarce until the 88th minute when Brandon Vazquez, a substitute brought on in the second half, scored an impressive header to give the USMNT a lead, much to the delight of his FC Cincinnati supporters. However, their advantage slipped away in second-half stoppage time when Steven Vitoria, a Canadian defender, converted a penalty kick, forcing the game into extra time. In the 109th minute, Canada took the lead as Jacob Shaffelburg, a forward, found the back of the net. Nonetheless, U.S. midfielder Gianluca Busio managed to level the score by forcing an own goal from Canada's Scott Kennedy just five minutes later.
The match ultimately came down to a penalty kick shootout, where Matt Turner's exceptional saves on Canada's initial two attempts proved crucial. Meanwhile, the USA's Cade Cowell, Busio, and Jesús Ferreira confidently converted their spot kicks, propelling the team into the semifinals.
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The match started under unusual and unfortunate circumstances as assistant referee Christian Espinosa from Mexico was hit in the face by a fiercely struck ball in the opening minute. As a result, he had to be replaced by Caleb Wales from Trinidad and Tobago, who had previously served as a linesman in the quarterfinal match between Guatemala and Jamaica earlier in the day.
The first half was characterized by tension and caution, resulting in a disjointed flow of play. The USA had the first notable opportunity in the 26th minute when Julian Gressel's corner kick caused chaos in the Canadian penalty area. Jesús Ferreira, who had been in exceptional form with six goals in the previous three Gold Cup games, seized the loose ball eight yards from the goal and attempted a quick shot, but Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio made a sprawling block to deny him.
Canada's best chance of the half came three minutes into the extended 12 minutes of stoppage time. The U.S. defense made a mistake, allowing forward Junior Hoilett to find space on the right flank. Hoilett delivered a low cross, but U.S. defender Bryan Reynolds sent his attempt over the crossbar.
The first half concluded with another threatening moment in the U.S. penalty area. A delayed VAR review was conducted to assess a potential handball by Miles Robinson, but it was eventually dismissed as an earlier push by defender Moise Bombito on Busio during the build-up to Zack McGraw's header on target was deemed the reason for the play.
The USA exerted heavy pressure in the second half and created a golden opportunity for Busio in the 69th minute. After receiving a low pass from Gressel at the top of the box, Busio displayed skillful footwork to evade a defender. Although the ball momentarily got away from him, he quickly regained control and fired a low shot towards the goal, forcing a remarkable save from Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who stretched out fully to deny the attempt.
In the 88th minute, the USA finally broke the deadlock with a goal from Brandon Vazquez, who received an excellent cross from left back DeJuan Jones and raced past the Canadian defense to head the ball home. However, their lead didn't last long as Canada swiftly responded. Two minutes into second-half stoppage time, Miles Robinson was penalized for a handball inside the U.S. box. The referee awarded a penalty kick, which Vitoria confidently converted to equalize, making up for his previous defensive lapse during Vazquez's goal.
Against the run of play in the 109th minute, Canada's substitute Shaffelburg found the back of the net. Starting from his own half, he skillfully evaded Jesús Ferreira and Matt Miazga before his low shot deflected off a defender and ended up in the back of the net guarded by Matt Turner.
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The game continued to be a back-and-forth battle as extra time progressed. In the 115th minute, Busio created another scoring opportunity when headers from Miazga and Jordan Morris led the ball to his feet. St. Clair managed to clear Busio's shot, but the ball inadvertently hit Kennedy, a nearby Canadian defender, and deflected into his own goal.
With the score level at 2-2 after extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shootout. U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner made crucial saves on the first two Canadian penalties taken by Vitoria and Liam Fraser. Although Vazquez missed his initial attempt, Cade Cowell, Busio, and Ferreira all successfully converted their penalties. The game concluded when Charles-Andreas Brym hit the crossbar with Canada's final penalty kick, leading to jubilant celebrations as the USA advanced to their 16th Gold Cup semifinal.
Here's a summary of the goal-scoring events:
88th minute: USA - Brandon Vazquez (Assisted by DeJuan Jones)
Vazquez displayed his aerial prowess by perfectly timing his run to outpace Canadian captain Steven Vitoria. He scored a towering header, delighting the Cincinnati fans. This was Vazquez's fourth international goal since his debut earlier in the year. The score was USA 1, CAN 0.
☆92nd minute: CAN - Steven Vitoria (Penalty Kick)
A ball played into the left side of the box hit the arm of U.S. defender Miles Robinson, resulting in a VAR-reviewed penalty kick. Vitoria confidently stepped up and slotted the ball down the middle to level the score. The score was USA 1, CAN 1.
☆109th minute: CAN - Jacob Shaffelburg (Unassisted)
Shaffelburg made an impressive run down the left flank from inside his own half. After evading Jesús Ferreira, he unleashed a low left-footed shot that deflected off Matt Miazga's calf, causing the ball to knuckle past Matt Turner and into the U.S. goal. The score was USA 1, CAN 2.
☆115th minute: USA - Scott Kennedy (Own Goal)
Gianluca Busio fired a close-range shot after receiving flicked headers from Matt Miazga and Jordan Morris. Although goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair initially saved Busio's effort, the rebound bounced off Scott Kennedy's face and ended up in the back of the Canadian net. The score was USA 2, CAN 2.
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