GLENDALE, Ariz. — In a thrilling conclusion to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match on Saturday night, Honduras emerged victorious over Panama, claiming a 5-4 win in penalty shootouts after a fiercely contested 1-1 draw.
Honduras now moves forward to the semifinals, set to play against the reigning champions, Mexico, on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. This marks an exciting advancement for Honduras, as it’s their first time making it to the Gold Cup semifinals since 2013.
The match saw Honduras struggle early to create scoring chances, rallying late in the second half. They equalized in the 82nd minute with Anthony Lozano redirecting Carlos Pineda’s attempt into the net, capitalizing on a corner kick to level the score.
In the tension-filled penalty shootout, both teams successfully converted four out of five shots. Honduras had an opportunity to secure the win with their fifth, but Orlando Mosquera’s impressive dive stopped Lozano’s effort. The pressure shifted to Panama’s Eduardo Guerrero, who missed by sending the ball over the bar. With a second chance, Pineda made no mistake, striking the ball into the bottom left corner to clinch the win for Honduras.
Despite Panama’s dominance in possession throughout the first half, they only managed to break the deadlock when Cristian Martínez was fouled by Edwin Rodríguez of Honduras inside the penalty area in the 44th minute. Ismael Díaz confidently converted the penalty for his tournament-leading sixth goal, expertly placing it into the bottom left corner to give Panama an initial 1-0 advantage.
During the group stage, Panama displayed formidable attacking prowess, netting a total of ten goals, including eight in first halves. Ismael Díaz’s achievement of scoring six goals surpassed Gabriel Torres’ record for the most goals scored by a Panamanian in a single Gold Cup.
Historically, Panama has been a runner-up in the Gold Cup on three occasions, falling to the United States in 2005 and 2013, and to Mexico in 2023. Honduras, on the other hand, reached the finals in the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1991, where they were defeated by the U.S.
Saturday’s encounter marked the first Gold Cup knockout round clash between the two teams. Panama entered the quarterfinals after a strong performance in Group C, topping the group with victories over Guatemala, Jamaica, and Guadeloupe. Meanwhile, Honduras finished as runners-up in Group B after defeating Curacao and El Salvador, despite a heavy 6-0 loss to Canada.