USA vs Canada prediction: NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA: Gold Cup – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-07-09 23:30.
History-maker Jesús Ferreira is eyeing yet more glory as he attempts to fire the USA to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals. The 22-year old has just become the quickest Stars and Stripes player to reach ten international goals, after netting back-to-back hat-tricks in the 6-0 demolitions of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago – also a first for the country.
Those victories mean the States, now unbeaten in nine matches (W6, D3), remain on course to defend the title they lifted two years ago. Next on their hitlist are rivals Canada, against whom they are unbeaten on home soil since 1957 (W13, D9), including a 2-0 win in the CONCACAF Nations League final last month.
Visiting head coach John Herdman has called on his players to end that miserable record, stating that “we want our fans to experience that moment” of history. They will surely have to improve to reach the last four though, having only booked their place in the quarter-finals by beating Cuba 4-2 in their group finale, after successive draws against minnows Guatemala (0-0) and Guadeloupe (2-2) opened their campaign.
Those results mean that Les Rouges have picked up just four victories in their last ten outings (D2, L4), while their frail defence has conceded at least twice in five of those matches. Canada also have a poor recent record in knockout matches at the Gold Cup, having lost three of their last four quarter-finals in the competition, though the exception to that run came two years ago when they saw off Costa Rica 2-0.
Key battle: USA goalkeeper Matt Turner is looking to extend his impressive record of six clean sheets in eight Gold Cup appearances. Canada’s Jonathan Osorio will be keen to end that run, and he is unbeaten in the nine internationals in which he has scored (W8, D1), including against Cuba in the group stage.
Hot stat: The USA have only conceded one first-half goal in their last 22 games at the Gold Cup.