Mexico and Honduras are going through to the semifinals of the 2011 Gold Cup, thanks to a penalty shootout win for Los Catrachos and a Chicharito backheel winner for El Tri.
Gold Cup (Copa Oro) 2011 Quarterfinals: Mexico Defeats Guatemala 2-1 With Chicharito Backheel Winner
Gold Cup (Copa Oro) Quarterfinals: Mexico Vs. Guatemala, Costa Rica Vs. Honduras
That opening game is an interesting one, as many thought that Honduras and Costa Rica were both likely semifinalists. Jamaica has impressed so far in this competition, but the general consensus is that Costa Rica and Honduras are the third and fourth best teams in CONCACAF behind the traditional big two of the United States and Mexico. Both teams have had ups and downs to start the tournament, but both also have much more in their bag of tricks than they’ve shown so far.
Costa Rica were absolutely obliterated by Mexico in the first half of their group stage game, and there’s no question that they’re a better team than they showed in those 45 minutes. Bryan Ruiz looked a bit rusty in his first game back with the team, while the entire defense looked very poor. The good news is that loss didn’t knock them out of the tournament, and it would be stunning to see them play that poorly again.
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