A Recap of USA vs. Canada, 2023 Gold Cup Quarterfinals

A Recap of USA vs. Canada, 2023 Gold Cup Quarterfinals

 

GOLD CUP- The United States Men’s National Team played Canada for the second time within a month. For this game, interim coach B.J. Callahan elected to make one swap from the lineup that we saw in the 6-0 rout over Trinidad and Tobago, swapping in Julian Gressel for Cristian Roldan. The match started off with a decidedly unusual incident. In the opening seconds, Kamal Miller cleared the ball right next to the endline… and straight into the linesman’s face. The game was suspended for about ten minutes while the referee team first responded to the bleeding, injured linesman.

 

 

 

 

Once play actually started, the actual game proved a bit tepid, at least at first. Canada essentially forfeited possession and couldn’t get into the US’s final third. On the other hand, the USMNT were often sloppy and slow, missing passes or playing the ball into Canadian defenders while under limited pressure.

 

 

Things started to turn after the 30-minute mark.

 

 

The US did burst into the box in the 33rd minute through DeJuan Jones, but the resulting corner led to naught. Canada eventually managed to work their way down the USMNT’s right side and got a free kick, but the American defense held firm. The US was able to play out of pressure with a slick little sequence before forcing a foul around the halfway line. After recycling play, the US was able to build back up to attack the Canadian goal in the 38th minute. While they didn’t manage anything that directly troubled St. Clair, they did manage to retain possession. It was clear the young American side was starting to find their grove. Canada tried to disrupt it with a dangerous foul in the 41’ with Lucas Cavallini awarded a yellow card for snagging Sands in the back of his ankle.

 

 

Canada’s most threatening moment of the half came in the 47th minute, with Bryan Reynolds misplaying a cross in behind the US backline. The US lucked out and avoided an own goal. The resulting corner got cleared out, but Canada appealed for a handball off of Miles Robinson. As it turned out, the ball did look to hit Robinson’s hand while he flailed it toward the ball. But, upon review, the referee decided that Busio was fouled just moments prior, resulting in a free kick instead of a penalty