The semifinals of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup are now set after Sunday’s results. The surprise of the tournament Haiti will face Mexico in the first semifinal, while the U.S. will play Jamaica with a spot in the final on the line.
United States
After rolling through Group D – the weakest group in the competition – with three wins and three shutouts with a +11 goal differential, the U.S. ran into one of the surprise teams of the Gold Cup, Curaçao. Curaçao outplayed the U.S. for much of the match, but a goal in the 25th minute via Weston Mckennie was enough to reach the semifinals after an underwhelming performance.
Guyana – Win (4-0)
Trinidad – Win (6-0)
Panama – Win (1-0)
Curaçao – Win (1-0)
The U.S. now faces Group C winner Jamaica, who has reached the final of the last two Gold Cups, falling to Mexico in 2015 and the U.S. in 2017. Jamaica looks to get over the hump and move one step closer to the trophy against the U.S. If the U.S. plays like they did against Curaçao, they could be looking at an early exit in a tournament they are favored to win.
PULISIC ➡️ MCKENNIE = GOAL ?
The two 20-year-olds connect to put USA on ? #GoldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/cBWrhDZtT5
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 1, 2019
Jamaica
Honduras – Win (3-2)
El Salvador – Draw (0-0)
Curaçao – Draw (1-1)
Panama – Win (1-0)
The winners of Group C with five points, Jamaica now looks to reach a third consecutive Gold Cup final and lift the trophy for the first time, but will have to get through the tournament favorite United States to do so. Despite a recent victory over the U.S. in a friendly prior to the Gold Cup, the U.S. are still the favorite in this matchup.
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Haiti
Bermuda – Win (2-1)
Nicaragua – Win (2-0)
Costa Rica – Win (2-1)
Canada – Win (3-2)
The Cinderella story of the Gold Cup, Haiti claimed the top spot in Group B with a surprising win over Costa Rica in the final group stage match. Now in the semifinals for the first time after a 3-2 victory over Canada where they overcame a 2-0 halftime deficit, Haiti will have their toughest test yet against Mexico, the seven-time Gold Cup winners.
Mexico
Cuba – Win (7-0)
Canada – Win (3-1)
Martinique – Win (3-2)
Costa Rica – Win 1-1 (5-4 on penalties)
Rolling through Group C with nine points, Mexico played a close match against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, but were able to come out on top in a penalty shootout. After surviving a much closer match than expected against Martinique in the group finale, Mexico’s defense played much better against Los Ticos and should be able to keep Haiti’s offense in check while adding a few more goals against a weaker defense than Costa Rica’s.
Predictions
United States 1, Jamaica 0
Mexico 3, Haiti 1
The U.S. will avenge the friendly loss to Jamaica from earlier this month, while El Tri will end the surprise run of Haiti to reach the final.
If the predictions come true, Mexico and the U.S. will meet for the Cold Cup title for the sixth time, with the U.S. looking to defend their 2017 title and Mexico looking to win their eighth title, their first since 2015.
Where to watch
The Mexico vs. Haiti match will take place Tuesday at 8 p.m. MT and can be seen on FS1. The U.S. vs. Jamaica showdown will be played Wednesday at 7 p.m. MT and can also be seen on FS1.
