CONCACAF Gold Cup

Costa Rica and the USA will go head-to-head for a place in the 2017 Gold Cup final on Saturday when they face off at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

Los Ticos are targeting an appearance in the final for just the second time, having only previously reached it in 2002.

The USA will be looking to return to the showpiece after the 2015 tournament broke their streak of five consecutive appearances.

Read on for a preview of their upcoming clash, but first here are the viewing details you need to catch the action:

Date: Saturday, July 22

Time: 10 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. local

TV: Fox Sports 1 USA

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Costa Rica progressed to the semi-final by beating Panama 1-0 in the last round courtesy of an Anibal Godoy own goal, while the United States saw off El Salvador 2-0.

Despite the comfortable scoreline, the hosts struggled to impress in the latter match.

Former USA star Taylor Twellman was not impressed:

Shape and spacing isn't good for #USMNT. Morrow and Zardes are standing on top of each other they need more sophistication between them.

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) July 20, 2017

Goal USA's Ives Galarcep also called on the team to improve significantly if they want a place in the final:

The #USMNT won last night to reach the #GoldCup2017 semis, but their play needs to get MUCH better and Bruce Arena's players know it. https://t.co/GdWn4E42sB

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) July 20, 2017

Indeed, per Galarcep, both manager Bruce Arena and his players are well aware of that need after the quarter-final. Arena said: "I thought we had a difficult time tonight. Our timing wasn't good. We didn't deal well with the physicality. The game had no rhythm with all the fouls and players falling on the group, but we weren't good on top of it."

Jozy Altidore added: "We can't be coming out flat like that. As the games get tougher now, a good Costa Rica team will punish you early on if you come out flat like that. I don't think we can come out like we did today in the first 30 and escape without giving up goals. We've got to be sharper."

The United States may have been able to get away with a lacklustre performance against El Salvador, but they'll have a tougher time against Los Ticos.

The latter battled their way through a hard-fought clash with Panama, per the Gold Cup's official Twitter feed:

Costa Rica have shipped just one goal in the tournament thus far, so if the USA are to break them down they can't afford to be as disjointed in attack as they were for much of the quarter-final.

Likewise, if they gift their opponents the same chances they handed El Salvador, they're much more likely to be punished.

All in all, it should make for an absorbing matchup.

Jamaica and Mexico clinched their spots in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals Thursday with victories over Canada and Honduras, respectively, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The two clubs joined the United States—which beat El Salvador Wednesday—and Costa Rica—which beat Panama Wednesday—as the four teams with championship hopes remaining.

With that in mind, here is a look at the semifinals schedule as well as a prediction for the game to watch in the upcoming round.

Semifinals Schedule

The United States will face Costa Rica in Saturday's semifinal match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 10 p.m. ET. Mexico and Jamaica will play in the other semifinal match at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The final will take place Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The schedule is courtesy of the Gold Cup's official website.  

Thursday's Action

Jamaica's Shaun Francis wasted little time with a goal in the sixth minute of Thursday's opening contest, putting his side up for good against Canada in a 2-1 victory.

CONCACAF shared the opening strike:

Romario Williams appeared to put things away for Jamaica with a goal in the second half, but Canada's Junior Hoilett made it 2-1 in the 61st minute. However, Jamaica goaltender Andre Blake stood strong in the face of a number of Canadian attacks down the stretch and clinched the victory.

Like Jamaica, Mexico didn't hesitate to seize momentum in what turned into a 1-0 win.

Rodolfo Pizarro scored the lone goal in the fourth minute on a perfectly placed pass from Elias Hernandez right in front of the net. CONCACAF passed along the highlight:

The quick goal was not a sign of things to come as each offense bogged down during a number of scoring opportunities. The 1-0 result was also a testament to strong showings from both defenses, but Honduras' finishing ability went missing throughout the critical moments of the match.

Mexico will now look to maintain its formidable defensive play moving forward with two victories separating it from a Gold Cup title.

Semifinal Game to Watch: United States vs. Costa Rica

American fans are intimately familiar with Costa Rica considering the Red, White and Blue suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Los Ticos in a November World Cup qualifier that ultimately led to coach Jurgen Klinsmann's ousting.

The United States will have a chance at revenge in the Gold Cup and will face a Costa Rica attack that struggled in a 1-0 victory over Panama in the quarterfinals. Costa Rica advanced because of an own goal from Panama, although its defense has thrived in this tournament with three shutouts in four matches.

However, Franco Panizo of MLS' official website pointed out "Costa Rica's attack will likely have to come to life if they wish to advance." Panizo noted Los Ticos have just six goals in the tournament with three coming in a single match.

Even with a strong defense, Costa Rica's offensive concerns will prevent it from keeping up with an American side now playing with Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Darlington Nagbe.

The Americans will also be motivated considering coach Bruce Arena said, "Hopefully we can remember that," when discussing the 4-0 loss to Costa Rica, per Jonathan Tannenwald of The Inquirer.

Tannenwald noted Arena is undefeated in his current 12-game tenure as the United States has played better since moving on from Klinsmann. That will continue in the Gold Cup semifinal against Costa Rica in a statement showing with another critical World Cup qualifier looming against the same team in September.

Prediction: United States 2, Costa Rica 1

Mexico moved one step closer to defending its CONCACAF Gold Cup title Thursday night with a 1-0 triumph over Honduras at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

The win, which was anchored by an early goal from Rodolfo Pizarro, propelled El Tri into a semifinal showdown with Jamaica, who bested Canada 2-1 in the evening's first quarterfinal.  

Physicality reigned supreme as the two sides racked up a combined 25 fouls and six yellow cards, but Mexico maintained composure despite some aggressive challenges and pressed forward to impose its will throughout the first half. 

That much was clear in the fourth minute when Jose Duenas' mishit sputtered across the box and landed at Pizarro's feet for an easy tap-in goal to give Mexico an instant 1-0 edge. Here's the highlight, via Fox Soccer: 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the tally was Mexico's fastest in a Gold Cup game since 1993. 

Honduras wasn't anywhere near as effective in the attacking third and failed to record a shot on goal until the 50th minute on a set piece. 

Los Catrachos tried to pick up the pressure as time started to tick away, but Mexico's stout defense and pinpoint passing allowed El Tri to dictate pace and stave off danger. 

But as ESPN.com's Eric Gomez noted, Mexico was fortunate Honduras' offense remained anemic, since a second goal proved elusive: 

In any event, Mexico will be happy with the result since it was able to survive and advance.

Now, it's onto Sunday's semifinal against Jamaica, which will represent a rematch of the 2015 Gold Cup Final. 

The winner of that battle will meet either the United States or Costa Rica in the title tilt on Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. 

The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finalists will become known on Thursday evening as Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica and Canada prepare to battle it out in the second half of the competition's quarter-final slate.

The University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona will host a double-header of Gold Cup collisions, with Jamaica set to face Canada before pre-tournament favourites Mexico take on Honduras.

Of those four teams, El Tri were the only outfit to top their pool and finished two points ahead of Group C runners-up Jamaica, while Honduras squeezed into the next phase as one of the best third-placed qualifiers.

Canada ended the pool stage second to Costa Rica in Group A, and the Canucks will be hopeful of hurting the Reggae Boyz, considering the latter managed to score just three goals in three group games.

Here's how Thursday's quarter-final schedule is shaping up. Alternatively, visit the Gold Cup's official website for a look at the schedule in full.

Thursday, July 20: 7:30 p.m. ET/12:30 a.m BST—Jamaica vs. Canada

Thursday, July 20: 10:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 a.m. BST—Mexico vs. Honduras 

TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Unimas (U.S.)

Streaming available via Fox Sports Go and fubo.tv.

Preview

Mexico were previously seen as major front-runners for this summer's Gold Cup, but after seeing their resources strained by the FIFA Confederations Cup, their title hopes no longer look quite so strong.

It's usual that teams are permitted to reinforce their squads at this stage of the competition—six players apiece—but ESPN FC's Tom Marshall explained that Mexico have been rejected in their hopes of doing so:

That will be music to the ears of Honduras, although the fact their only win of the tournament so far came against French Guiana indicates El Tri may still have sufficient assets among their young, inexperienced selection.

Manager Juan Carlos Osorio's Mexico side have plenty of room for improvement, though. This was evidenced by the fact that even in their most recent result, a 2-0 win over minnows Curacao, their goalkeeper was elected the best player on the pitch:

As far as quarter-final routes go, Mexico have happened upon one of the easier opponents after Honduras scored just three times in the group stage, a record that could see them come undone against El Tri, who have conceded only once.

Another team that's scored only thrice in this competition is Jamaica, but Darren Mattocks—the man responsible for two of those strikes—has spoken hopefully of his side's chances against Canada, per CONCACAF:

Canada and Jamaica both have young squads—the former has only nine players aged 27 and over—and the fact the Canucks are spread across the world, while Jamaica are largely based in the United States, works against them.

Both teams are unbeaten thus far in the Gold Cup, but that record will change for one of these teams on Thursday, and it's an incredibly fine line that separates the two.

The United States men's national team advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 Gold Cup thanks to a 2-0 win over El Salvador on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Manager Bruce Arena made several notable additions to upgrade the attack heading into the knockout stage, although it was defenders Omar Gonzalez and Eric Lichaj who scored the first-half goals that made the difference.

The United States will now take on Costa Rica in the semifinals.

Despite the final score, there were a lot of nervous moments for the United States. The back line was responsible for two goals, but several key mistakes allowed for excellent chances for El Salvador that they just couldn't finish.

Goalie Tim Howard, who was one of the additions for the knockout round, made a big impact right from the start:

His play was a major reason the match ended in a shutout.

The defensive showing specifically left a lot of questions:

Meanwhile, the offense was almost nowhere to be seen early for the Americans. With the exception of a questionable offside call on Gyasi Zardes, they lacked legitimate chances in the first half-hour of the match.

That finally changed with two goals in a span of six minutes right before halftime. Gonzalez scored off a Michael Bradley free kick, while Clint Dempsey found a streaking Lichaj for the second goal.

It was the first international goal for Lichaj, although Paul Carr of ESPN provided an interesting note about Gonzalez:

After a sloppy start to the match, the United States suddenly were up 2-0 at halftime.

Rahul Vaidyanath of the Epoch Times summed up the early action:

The second half featured more mistakes from the American back line, but El Salvador couldn't take advantage.

Although the hosts weren't aggressive enough to score again, they maintained control to secure a two-goal win in a match where they didn't look their best.

Bradley, Paul Arriola and Darlington Nagbe had their moments, but there was otherwise a lot left to be desired from the tournament favorites.

The United States now faces Costa Rica in the semifinals Saturday at 9 p.m. ET in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Ticos used a Panama own goal to advance to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win Wednesday.

El Salvador's Henry Romero appeared to bite the United States' Jozy Altidore during Wednesday's Gold Cup quarterfinals match.

The podcast Caught Offside noted a "long suspension should be coming his way" when discussing Romero's decision to apparently bite the American forward. CJ Fogler shared video of the incident:

Altidore and the Americans are attempting to win their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup title and faced Romero and El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Wednesday. The strange defensive tactic from Romero turned heads, but his side couldn't stop the United States from seizing control of the contest in the closing stretch of the first half and ultimately winning 2-0.

Omar Gonzalez opened the scoring with a header in the 41st minute off an assist from Michael Bradley. From there, Eric Lichaj made it 2-0 with a left-footed shot on an assist from veteran Clint Dempsey in stoppage time in the first half.

It was more of the same for the United States against El Salvador, as Sports Illustrated noted the Red, White and Blue have never dropped a game against Romero's team in America and sported a 16-1-5 overall record in the series coming into Wednesday's contest.

Next up for Altidore and the United States is a Saturday showdown against Costa Rica in the semifinals.

Costa Rica is the first team in the 2017 Gold Cup semifinals after its 1-0 win over Panama Wednesday.

The only score was an own goal against Panama, costing the team a chance to possibly win on penalty shots.

Both teams were undefeated with two wins and a draw in the group stage, but only Costa Rica was able to advance with the quarterfinal win at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Max Bretos of ESPN summed up the level of play from Costa Rica:

A strong on paper Costa Rica  has looked uninspiring in the #GoldCup2017 . But, there they are .. in Semis. #dangerous

— Maximiliano Bretos (@mbretosESPN) July 20, 2017

The battle was sloppy throughout, with both sides staying relatively conservative. It took 77 minutes for the ball to find the back of one of the nets, and fittingly it came on an own goal against Panama.

Anibal Godoy, who picked up his second yellow card in the tournament in this game, headed the ball into his net off a set piece for Costa Rica, via Fox Soccer:

Jose Calderon had done a good job in net for Panama, but it took his own man to drive it past him.

The Ticos were then able to hold on for the narrow victory.

It was a defensive battle to start the match with neither side getting many good opportunities offensively. Not only did the match sit at 0-0 through the first 45 minutes, but there was only one combined shot on goal.

Even when Costa Rica earned a free kick in good position to score, the team effectively gave it away with a short pass and didn't even get off a shot.

Keith Costigan of Fox Sports summed up the lack of action:

The second half featured plenty more chances in the final third, but still no one could break through with the first goal.

Matthew Doyle of MLSsoccer.com summed up his feelings as the match continued:

Costa Rica finally got onto the scoresheet off the own goal and then locked up the match with even better defense down the stretch.

The Ticos will now take on the winner of the United States and El Salvador in the semifinal Saturday at 9 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Panama will turn its attention back to World Cup qualifying, which resumes in September.

The quarter-finals of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup continue on Thursday, with holders Mexico taking on Honduras at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

El Tri will be hot favourites to book their spot in the last four of the tournament, having already topped Group C with seven points from three games.

Honduras, meanwhile, have yet to score a goal, having drawn 0-0 with Canada and lost 1-0 to Costa Rica.

However, they went on to qualify as—despite drawing 0-0 with French Guinea—they were awarded a 3-0 victory, after their opponents fielded the ineligible Florent Malouda in their group-stage match.

As such, Mexico, who have won three of the past four tournaments, will be expected to progress at the expense of the goal-shy Hondurans.

Here are the key viewing details before we look ahead and preview this knockout contest.

Date: Thursday, July 20

Time: 10:30 p.m. (ET), 3:30 a.m. (BST) Friday, July 21

TV Info: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (U.S.)

Match Preview

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio will not be calling up any new players, as permitted by the competition's rules following the completion of the group stage, as noted by Tom Marshall at ESPN FC:

Per Marshall, the coach will also continue to watch from the stands, as he serves the third game of a six-match FIFA ban picked up at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup for acting inappropriately towards officials.

Mexico will fancy their chances of keeping a clean sheet on Thursday, not just because Honduras are yet to open their account but also due to the form of goalkeeper Jesus Corona.

The 36-year-old was superb against Curacao last time out and will want to continue to impress, particularly ahead of next summer's 2017 FIFA World Cup finals:

However, Mexico will need to improve going forward, having largely been unable to showcase their attacking talent in the tournament. A 0-0 draw with Jamaica was followed by a 2-0 win over Curacao, but they needed a stoppage-time goal from Edson Alvarez to secure the victory.

Osario could start Erick Torres against Honduras, particularly as he could come up against Houston Dynamo team-mates Boniek Garcia, Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto for Honduras.

Acting caretaker boss Pompilio Paez has backed Torres and hinted at an attacking approach, per MLSsoccer.com:

"Erick gave us two great chances in the last game, but this time we were looking to play a more central game where we thought other players were better suited.

"We will try to narrow down our starting No. 9, but every game will be different. For example, against Honduras, a team that plays with a 5-4-1, we will probably need to start with three forwards."

Meanwhile, Honduras have shown little to suggest they can progress any further in the tournament. They may have won the 2017 Copa Centroamericana but have found goals hard to come by, and on current form, their prospects look bleak.

Mexico may not have been at their best so far in this tournament, but with a goalkeeper in top form and an array of attacking talent to choose from, they should still have too much for Honduras.

Prediction: Mexico 2-0 Honduras

The United States men's national team will be expected to kick on in the knockout stages of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Wednesday, as they face a quarter-final showdown with El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The United States eventually topped Group B with seven points, squeezing past Panama based on goals scored from their three matches. It's a position that means they will face El Salvador, who qualified for the knockout bracket by virtue of being one of the two best third-placed teams.

Although they have failed to totally convince in any of their outings so far, the USMNT are massive favourites for this one.

Here are the key viewing details to see if they can deliver on home soil and a look ahead to this knockout contest. 

Date: Wednesday, July 19

Time: 9 p.m. (ET), 2 a.m. (BST, July 20)

TV Info: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (U.S.)

Match Preview

As is permitted by Gold Cup competition rules, USMNT boss Bruce Arena has opted to call up six players for the knockout bracket. And the manager evidently feels some extra experience will be crucial.

Indeed, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore will all join up with the squad ahead of Wednesday's fixture, as well as Jesse Gonzalez and Darlington Nagbe. The former quartet all have more than 100 international caps each.

Howard posted the following snap of him and Bradley en route to Philadelphia ahead of the El Salvador match:

While these adjustments have received a mixed response from USMNT fans, it's tough to criticise Arena at this stage. As noted by Paul Carr of ESPN, he's had a fantastic start to his second stint in the hot seat:

These squad swaps will see some men who helped the USMNT progress beyond the group stage cut from the roster. Goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Sean Johnson have been sent back to their clubs, as have Alejandro Bedoya, Kelyn Rowe, Cristian Roldan and Dom Dwyer.

Dwyer will be particularly disappointed not to have been given an opportunity to show his best in the quarter-finals. After all, the Sporting Kansas City man played in all three Group B matches, netting in the first two.

Fox Sports' Keith Costigan feels that while some of the praise for the 26-year-old has been a little over the top, he deserved an opportunity against higher calibre opposition:

Instead, some familiar faces are set to be in the lineup for the match against El Salvador, adding to the weight of expectation on the USMNT players.

After all, El Salvador have shown little to suggest they will be able to get the better of a bolstered United States outfit.

While La Selecta will be pleased to have made it through to the knockout round, their only win in Group C came against Curacao; those three points were sandwiched by a 3-1 loss to Mexico and a 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

Eduardo Lara's side will need to find something extra to keep their tournament hopes alive. As noted by Steven Goff of the Washington Post, it's been a long time since El Salvador sampled victory against the United States:

It's difficult to see that run ending in Philadelphia, especially with so much quality injected into the United States squad.

El Salvador will hope the influx of new faces will disrupt Arena's setup and will be pinning their hopes on forward Nelson Bonilla to continue his goalscoring form, having netted twice in the Gold Cup so far. But at this juncture, it's difficult to see anything other than a comfortable win for the United States.

Prediction: United States 3-0 El Salvador