2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup: What to Expect From the Quarter Finals
Which teams made the final eight?
We all knew that Mexico, USA and Canada would cruise through to the final eight, so it’s no surprise to see those names on the board. It’s also not exactly out of the ordinary to see the likes of Panama and Costa Rica feature in the knockout rounds, with both teams reaching the final four multiple times in recent years. Famously the Panamaniacs reached the final in 2023, so they were always expected to make it beyond the groups.
It is perhaps a surprise to see the Guatemalans feature in the final eight. After all, this will be only the second time that the central American nation has gone beyond the group stage of this competition since 2011. They haven’t made the final four since 1996. Will they stop short of a 30-year absence from the deeper part of this tournament? Probably not, though their fans may be hopeful nonetheless.
To confirm, the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter finals will be:
Panama vs Honduras (Saturday, 19:15 EST)
Mexico vs Saudi Arabia (Saturday, 10:15 EST)
Canada vs Guatemala (Sunday, 16:00 EST)
USA vs Costa Rica (Sunday, 19:00 EST)
What should we expect from the quarter finals?
Neutrals interested in this competition will likely be wishing for a few upsets to spice things up, and you know what, they may just get one.
The quarters kick off with Panama vs Honduras, and to be honest, whatever happens there, it wouldn’t exactly be classed as an upset, despite the Panamaniacs going into the game as favorites. The Hondurans have beaten their opponents in recent years, so a win for the underdogs wouldn't be a huge upset, especially after Los Catrachos have gathered momentum following that opening-round defeat to Canada.
Mercurial forward Luis Palma, who has the ability to be a match winner for his team, hit his stride with a late goal last time out, so watch out for him in that game.
The second quarter involves the Mexicans, who remain strongly fancied by many onlookers, and rightly so. Let’s face it, El Tri made light work of qualifying for the knockouts, and we’ve likely not seen the best of them yet. You can expect Javier Aguirre’s men to go up a gear against what can be a defiant Saudi Arabia team, but when push comes to shove, it’s unlikely that the tournament invitees will have enough offensive strength to outmuscle the Mexicans.
Will the Guetemalans upset the Canucks? It seems unlikely, with the men in red expected to simply have too much firepower for their opponents. This leaves the US. Surely Mauricio Pochettino’s men won’t let those looking to bet on the quarter-final favorites down, will they?
The Stars and Stripes have so far looked strong, with their young team accelerating their way through the groups, scoring a pleasing eight goals, conceding just one in the process.
The Costa Ricans did the job well in the group, though if you’re a fan of Miguel Herrera’s team, then you may be worried about their ability to keep things tight at the back. Sure, they shut out the Mexicans in their final group game, but that game lacked intensity, with a 0-0 suiting both parties. This will be different. The US boys have shown lots of offensive quality and with players like Malik Tillman to call upon, the Costa Ricans look in trouble, and as is the case with both Mexico and Canada, you can expect Pochettino’s team to have too much final-third quality.
Is the time now for the Canucks?
The pre-tournament betting focused heavily on Mexico and the US, as it always does, and those old rivals remain the two most likely winners of this tournament, but could the Canadians spoil the party?
Surely this is Canada’s best shot yet of securing a title that has so far proved to be elusive? And sure, I know that they didn’t win all three group games, but they didn’t exactly struggle to qualify as Group B winners, picking up seven points thanks to two wins and a tie, scoring nine and conceding just one in the process.
This is a team that has the firepower, but they may now also have the nous to get over the line in the biggest of games. The way things have been drawn means that they wouldn’t face the Mexicans until the final, which is a plus, that’s for sure.
Of course, what should be a routine win against Guatemala in the quarters will set up a huge game against the US, but I really wouldn’t discount Jesse March’s men in that one. After all, when the Canucks faced their fellow hosts back in March, they came out on top, so we know they’ve got the beating of that particular opponent in the locker. Whatever happens over the next week or so, it will be interesting too see if what must be the best ever Canadian team can rise to the challenge.
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