ARLINGTON, TEX.- A second-half hat trick from Ismael Diaz propelled Panama past Qatar in a 4-0 victory on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas that puts the Central Americans in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals.
It is the first Gold Cup semifinal for Panama since the 2015 edition and for Diaz, it is the fastest hat trick scored in the current tournament.
Panama pushed ahead in the 19th minute when Panama MF Edgar Yoel Barcenas headed a cross across the box from Eric Davis into the ground. The bouncing shot beat the Qatar GK Salah Zakaria and crossed the line for the opener.
The lead could’ve doubled in the 26th minute as Panama FW Jose Fajardo intercepted a pass and took a shot from distance that sailed just wide of Zakaria’s net.
Just 11 minutes later, Qatar rued missing an opportunity to punish Panama’s inability to extend its advantage. Qatar MF Bassam Al-Rawi headed a shot on target from a corner kick, but Panama GK Orlando Mosquera was able to push it over his bar.
Panama found that second goal it was looking for in the 56th minute, as Diaz started to put together his hat trick. Panama MF Adalberto Carrasquilla unlocked the defense with a long, low pass and Diaz took one touch before finishing to the near post for his first goal of the night for a 2-0 lead.
He was celebrating again in the 63rd minute when a shot from Carrasquilla was deflected and fell to Diaz, who finished into a net that was nearly empty after the goalkeeper had moved to stop the obstructed effort.
Diaz completed his rapid-fire hat trick in the 65th minute, starting a move with Fajardo that ended with Diaz running into the penalty area and finishing with his right foot after settling the ball with his first touch, making it a 4-0 final scoreline.
Panama now awaits the winner of Sunday’s quarterfinal match between the United States and Canada at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium.
The records achieved by Ismael Diaz
Ismael Díaz is one goal away from equaling Blas Pérez as the top scorer in QF. Pérez scored (4) goals between 2007, 2009, and 2013 (2). Díaz is the first to score a Hat-Trick in QF. Ismael Diaz scored the fastest hat-trick in the history of the Gold Cup in 9 minutes. He surpassed Frantzdy Pierrot from Haiti, who took 11 minutes. He also surpassed Brian McBride of the United States, who scored against El Salvador on January 21, 2002 (21 years and 162 days had passed).
