Gold Cup semifinals set: United States vs. Jamaica; Mexico vs. Haiti

Costa Rica’s Gold Cup run ended in the quarterfinals as La Sele was eliminated by Mexico via penalty-kick shootout.

Despite the result, the Mexico game marked perhaps Costa Rica’s most complete performance under manager Gustavo Matosas. La Sele defended well and were able to generate a number of attacking chances, both on the counterattack and in the run of play.

Importantly, Costa Rica proved it can still compete with CONCACAF’s best despite its recent struggles. Were it not for Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa — who made a key stop in extra time and the decisive save during penalty kicks — La Sele might have earned the victory.

El Tri will face Haiti, which completed a comeback to defeat Canada, 3-2, and earn its first-ever Gold Cup semifinal berth. After his team fell behind 2-0, Duckens Nazon began the response with a goal and later provided an inch-perfect assist on the winner.

Haiti has come-from-behind wins in three matches already during the 2019 Gold Cup — against Bermuda, Costa Rica and Canada — so Mexico can expect a stiff challenge for all 90 minutes.

On the other side of the bracket, a Darren Mattocks penalty kick sent Jamaica through against Panama, while the United States suffered through a lackluster second half but survived Curaçao, 1-0.

The semifinals are familiar territory for Jamaica, which reached the championship match in the 2015 and 2017 Gold Cups. But the Reggae Boyz will be without reliable defender Damion Lowe, who is suspended from the match due to yellow-card accumulation.

They’ll face a U.S. men’s national team that epitomized “survive and advance” against Curaçao. Despite an electric Christian Pulisic, the U.S. couldn’t add to a 1-0 advantage and found itself out-possessed and out-shot in the second half.