MIAMI, Florida – This Friday at 7:00 PM ET, Concacaf will be airing a re-broadcast of two Concacaf Gold Cup classics, the first being the 2013 Gold Cup group stage match between Panama and Mexico, followed by the 2019 Gold Cup quarterfinal between Haiti and Canada. Both matches will be shown on Concacaf’s Facebook and YouTube pages, plus the Concacaf App.
The 2019 Gold Cup produced a number of thrilling contests, and it can be argued that the quarterfinal between Haiti and Canada ranked at the top of the list.
Two teams brimming with confidence met at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas with dreams of reaching the final four of the tournament.
After scoring 12 goals in the group stage to shatter their team record of goals scored in a Gold Cup, Canada were keen to get off to another strong start and carved out a 1-0 lead in the 18’ when a free kick was taken quickly and played to 2019 Gold Cup Golden Boot winner Jonathan David, who found space down the right side and fired into net.
Another of Canada’s rising stars, Alphonso Davies, came within a whisker of making it two in the 24’ with a stinging free kick that rang off the crossbar.
The second Canada goal would come in short order though, as Lucas Cavallini doubled the lead to 2-0 in the 28’. MF Scott Arfield threaded a ball into the FW, who rounded Haiti GK Jhony Placide and calmly stroked his shot into an empty net.
But the tide would turn in the second half and the memorable comeback for Les Grenadiers started in the 50’ when Duckens Nazon took advantage of a defensive error committed by the Canadians and easily swept a shot into net to cut the Canada advantage to 2-1.
The momentum was on Haiti’s side and Herve Bazile brought his side level 2-2 in the 70’ when he converted a penalty kick after having been fouled in the area.
Haiti were flying and looking to find a late winner to complete the comeback. It only took six minutes for the third Haiti goal to arrive, as Wilde-Donald Guerrier hauled in a pass in traffic from Nazon and slotted into net for a 3-2 Haiti lead.
Canada looked to respond, but the Haitian defense kept them at bay to nail down the victory and a first ever Gold Cup semifinal for the Caribbean nation.
