No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveU.S., Mexico knock out Central America clubs to set up Gold Cup...

U.S., Mexico knock out Central America clubs to set up Gold Cup final

The United States reached their fourth consecutive Concacaf Gold Cup final thanks to a Clint Dempsey goal which secured a 1-0 win for the hosts over Panama on Wednesday.

Dempsey struck in the 77th minute following a pass from Landon Donovan to avenge the U.S.’s 2-1 loss to Panama in the group stage.

“It wasn’t our best game but at the end of the day we kept going and got the goal needed to win the game,” Dempsey said. “All I had to do was put my foot on it.”

The U.S. squad will play Mexico in Saturday’s championship match at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. The Mexicans defeated Honduras 2-0 in the other semi-final on Wednesday.

Freddy Adu helped set up the winning goal with a long pass to Donovan at the Reliant Stadium.

Donovan, playing his 27th straight Gold Cup match, then played an inch-perfect pass across the Panama goal to Dempsey, who applied the finishing touch.

“We know that when we apply our game we are a pretty hard team to beat,” said 22-year-old Adu.

“I think we showed our quality in being able to grind out a result,” said Dempsey.

Panama’s loss was their fourth consecutive defeat to the United States in the knockout stages.

Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes said the United States had more energy Wednesday.

“It was a very intense game, very few chances for both teams,” Dely Valdes said. “I’m pleased with my team’s performance, they fought until the very end.”

Panama were without forward Blas Perez, sent off in his team’s quarter-final victory over El Salvador.

The U.S. were missing forward Jozy Altidore with a strained hamstring.

Altidore had scored two of the Americans’ six goals in the tournament.

He was injured in the ninth minute of the 2-0 victory against Jamaica at the weekend.

Dely Valdes said there was more parity in the tournament this year.

“The gap between the great teams and the up-and-comers has shrunk significantly,” he said. “Panama showed a very competitive level.”

Trending Now

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Costa Rica and Panama Seek Gold Cup Glory Against North American Giants

With no Caribbean teams advancing, a Central American contingent made up of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala heads into the quarterfinals of the...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica