Canada booked their spot into the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2009 and Honduras inched closer to joining them after the teams played to a 0-0 draw in the final match of Group A at Toyota Stadium Friday night.
Canada go through as the second-place finisher in Group A, while Honduras are currently the top third-place team with four points with two more groups to finish play. The top two third-place finishers advance to the quarterfinals.
Honduras nearly picked up all three points late when second-half substitute Sergio Pena slotted a ball spilled by Milan Borjan, but Steven Vitoria cleared the attempt off the line.
Both teams had scoring chances in the first half, but Marcel de Jong’s 22nd-minute full volley caromed off the post and Alberth Elis' attempt to chest in off a Honduras corner was cleared off the line by Michael Petrasso one minute before halftime.
- Squizzato: How Octavio Zambrano guided Canada into Gold Cup quarterfinals
- Player Ratings: Marcel de Jong leads Canada in 0-0 draw against Honduras
- No wins, no problem for Honduras, who inch closer to quarterfinal berth
- Bernier reflects on new-look Canada under Zambrano
Goals
- None
- CONCACAF Man of the Match: Marcel de Jong
Three Things
- MOVING ON UP: For the first time in eight years and fifth time overall, Canada are through to the quarterfinals. By finishing second in Group A, Canada will take on the second-place team in Group C – likely either Jamaica or El Salvador – in Glendale, Ariz. on Thursday. In 2009, Canada lost to Honduras 1-0 on a Walter Martinez first-half penalty kick in the quarters.
- NO DAVIES DRAMA: Teenage sensation Alphonso Davies of the Vancouver Whitecaps has been one of the top storylines of the Gold Cup to this point, with his three goals tied for most in the tournament with Martinique’s Kevin Parsemain. Davies, who left Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Costa Rica with an apparent foot injury, came on as a second-half substitute, but wasn’t able to find the back of the net for a third consecutive game.
- POWER OUTAGE: The good news for Honduras is that goalkeeper Luis Lopez has only conceded once during the group stage – and that goes all the way back to the first half of a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica in the second match of the tournament. The bad news for the Catrachos? They’ve yet to score a goal. Sure, they were awarded three of them for that French Guiana forfeit, but its now four Gold Cup matches and counting without a goal scored.
Lineups
Canada (5-3-2, left to right): #18 Milan Borjan (GK) -- #4 Samuel Adekugbe, #17 Marcel de Jong, #19 Steven Vitoria, #3 Manjrekar James, #23 Michael Petrasso -- #20 Patrice Bernier (#21 Jonathan Osorio, 65’), #6 Samuel Piette, #8 Scott Arfield -- #9 Lucas Cavallini (#14 Marc-Anthony Kaye, 87'), #10 David Junior Hoilett (#12 Alphonso Davies, 73’)
Honduras (4-2-3-1, left to right): #1 Luis Lopez (GK) -- #23 Carlos Sanchez, #3 Maynor Figueroa, #4 Henry Figueroa, #2 Felix Cristiano – #20 Jorge Claros, #8 Alfredo Mejia (#13 Sergio Pena, 79’), #7 Carlos Discua (Boniek Garcia, 65’) -- #12 Romell Quioto, #16 Ovidio Lanza, #17 Alberth Elis
