2025 Gold Cup Recaps: Canada Tops 9-Man El Salvador, Honduras Scores Late Winner to beat Curacao
Former Revolution winger Tajon Buchanan was on the scoresheet as Canada beat a rough and tumble El Salvador in the group finale.
The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage wrapped up with a doubleheader in Group B. All four teams were still alive for the knockouts, but in the end, the two most experienced sides were the ones to advance.
CANADA 2, EL SALVADOR 0
The first half was a full circle of events for El Salvador’s Santos Ortiz, as just two minutes in he fouled Richie Lareya and got a boot to the side of his head in the process. In the 16th minute, Ortiz found his way into Joseph Dickerson’s book when he took down Jacob Shaffelburg with a sliding challenge. Twenty minutes later he chopped down Niko Sigur with a scissoring motion and received his second yellow and subsequent red card.
Two late reviews in stoppage time saw Canada awarded a penalty after Shaffelburg was taken down near the endline by Jefferson Valladares. Jonathan David’s ensuing penalty was saved after Mario Gonzalez guessed correctly to his left and parried the spot kick to keep the scoreline level.
Teammate Jairo Henriquez joined Ortiz with an early shower deep into stoppage time after a VAR review clearly showed a high elbow after the play against Alistair Johnston near the centerline.
Now up against nine players, Canada scored twice in quick succession after the restart with David tucking a far post finish in the 53rd minute followed by Tajon Buchanan rising shot a few minutes later to double the lead in the 56th minute.
As if a zillion minutes of stoppage time and two red cards weren’t enough, Dickerson had to stop play in the 65th minute after the skycam ate a clearance.
Despite a meager 4 for 14 shooting performance for Canada, El Salvador was held to just 20 percent possession and two shots with none on target as Los Cuscatlecos were eliminated in last place. The Canucks topped the group on seven points though were far from the dominant side that romped Honduras by six goals in the opener.
HONDURAS 2, CURACAO 1
With the winner of this game guaranteed to go through, it was probably not the offensive performance either team was looking for.
Jorge Alvarez however, broke the stalemate just after the half-hour mark with a long-range curler from the middle of the field past an outstretched Eloy Room.
Ten minutes later however disaster struck for Los Catrachos, when keeper Edrick Menjivar went to punch out a corner but misplayed it and saw the ball bounce off his inside shoulder into his own net.
He recovered well to snuff out Curacao’s best chance in the second half, when he smothered Jurgen Locadia’s downward header at the near post in the 55th minute.
Honduras would secure the win and their spot in the knockouts in the first minute of stoppage time after a scramble in the middle of the field. Carlos Pineda knocked a ball over the top and Luis Palma raced ahead and hit a rising laser past Room. Honduras would finish the group with six points, winning both their subsequent games after their opening blowout loss to Canada.
GROUP OVERVIEW
It was not the expected romp to the top of the group we thought Canada would have after their first game. Canada largely struggled to generate chances against Curacao and El Salvador (even with the red cards), with just seven shots on target.
Honduras did well to put that first loss behind them, and I think scoring two late goals to secure things can do a lot for their confidence going forward. Curacao did their best to be competitive, but just couldn’t get their attack going. The own goal and one stoppage time equalizer was all they could muster and that’s why they’re going home.
I’m disappointed in El Salvador, which doesn’t usually play the villain role, but certainly did in that loss against Canada. No goals to show for their campaign, the only scoreless team in the tournament.
Panama will play in the first quarterfinal on Saturday, June 28 at 7:15 PM EDT against Honduras in Glendale, AZ. Canada will square off against Guatemala on Sunday, June 29 in Minneapolis, MN.