Canada and Guatemala secure spots, Guadeloupe left devastated

Canada and Guatemala advance to CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals with wins.

In an exhilarating day of CONCACAF Gold Cup action, Canada and Guatemala secured their spots in the quarter-finals with thrilling victories, while Guadeloupe suffered a heartbreaking defeat.

Canada showcased their dominance with a commanding 4-2 win over Cuba in Houston. The real spectacle, however, unfolded in New Jersey as Guatemala staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Guadeloupe 3-2, scoring two goals in the final 20 minutes.

Guadeloupe, known for their entertaining style of play throughout the tournament, found themselves at the top of the group with only 20 minutes remaining. Even a draw would have been enough to secure their qualification, but Matthias Phaeton's missed penalty in the 88th minute shattered their hopes.

As a result, Canada will now face the United States, while Guatemala will take on Jamaica in the quarter-finals. Both matches are scheduled for Sunday in Cincinnati.

The atmosphere at Red Bull Arena was electric, with passionate Guatemalan fans filling the stands. However, their excitement quickly turned to disappointment when Andrew Gravillon headed Guadeloupe into a 27th-minute lead.

Undeterred, Guatemala fought back and equalized 12 minutes later with a brilliant glancing header from striker Rubio Rubin. The match took a bizarre turn when Jordan Leborgne appeared to score for Guadeloupe, only for the goal to be disallowed due to a handball.

Upon VAR review, it was revealed that a defender had handled the ball in the same sequence of play, resulting in a penalty for Guadeloupe. Ange-Freddy Plumain calmly converted the spot kick, giving his team a 2-1 lead. His celebration in front of the Guatemalan fans, however, incited a shower of debris on the field.

But the tides quickly turned once again when Rubio leveled the score in the 70th minute, tapping in a low cross from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing after a brilliant defense-splitting pass from Pedro Altan.

The winning goal came in the 75th minute when Carlos Mejia capitalized on a poor clearance, twisting and turning to create space before unleashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

This victory saw Guadeloupe drop from first to third in the group. However, they were given a lifeline when Marlon Sequen committed a handball, resulting in a penalty. Unfortunately for Guadeloupe, Phaeton's penalty was saved by Nicholas Hagen, securing Guatemala's place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Canada, who had drawn their first two games, needed a victory against already-eliminated Cuba. They achieved this with relative ease. Junior Hoilett opened the scoring with a 21st-minute penalty, setting John Herdman's team on the path to victory. Jonathan Osorio doubled the lead just five minutes later, tapping in a low cross from Lucas Cavallini.

Cuba managed to pull one back with a Luis Paradela penalty just before halftime. However, Jayden Nelson quickly restored Canada's two-goal advantage right after the break, capitalizing on a fumble from Cuba's goalkeeper, Sandy Sanchez.

Liam Millar extended Canada's lead to 4-1 in the 61st minute, and although Maikel Reyes scored another penalty for Cuba in the 89th minute, it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal.

With these results, Canada and Guatemala have solidified their places in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, leaving Guadeloupe to reflect on what could have been. The stage is now set for an exciting showdown between Canada and the United States, as well as a thrilling clash between Guatemala and Jamaica.