There were then four. This week's CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off with two mouthwatering semifinals: Qatar vs. America and Mexico vs. Canada on Thursday night, just before the final in Las Vegas.- Gold Cup fixtures and results, schedule, and more- Watch ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. Only)- Do you not have ESPN? Get instant accessThe tournament was a battle of the rivers for the four remaining sides. All of them answered some questions as they won their quarterfinal victories over the weekend. Who is looking strong going into the semis What can we learn about these teams? The ESPN writers will walk you through the process of each team punching their ticket to get you ready for semifinals.Jump to: Canada | Mexico | Qatar | USACanada: The next generation is ready for bigger and moreCanada has made great progress in soccer over the past few years. Sunday's 2-0 win against Costa Rica may have been a sign of a change in the CONCACAF hierarchy.Although they were without injured European stars Alphonso David, Jonathan David, and Cyle Larin -- as well as promising young Toronto FC forward Ayo Akinola -- Canada defeated regular World Cup opponents Costa Rica and claimed the title of CONCACAF’s third-best team.- Report: Canada has closed Costa Rica out, but will face Mexico in SFJunior Hoilett, a veteran of the English Football League, and Stephen Eustaquio, a Portugal-based midfielder, scored the goals. Canada was held by Costa Rica, which is the 50th-ranked country in the world according to FIFA. This side has been successful in qualifying for four consecutive World Cups and two of the last five. It is important to note that they did it without David and Davies, which shows that they are a nation ready to compete in regional competitions regularly and qualify for the World Cups.Canada has been known for producing great players, but a new generation is emerging. Davies (20) and David (21) are the two leading figures in a group of young talented players under 24 that includes Gold Cup winners Akinola and Eustaquio as well as Tajon Buchanan, Tajon Buchanan, and Theo Corbeanu. Canada should not be denied the opportunity to qualify for Qatar 2022, if you add in veteran players like Hoilett and Larin, Lucas Cavallini and Mark-Anthony Kaye.They will be playing Mexico in the Gold Cup semifinals on Thursday night. John Herdman's team has exceeded expectations and reached the semifinals. But a win over Mexico on Thursday night would be a significant step in establishing Canada as a soccer country. Canada defeated the United States for the first time since 1934. A win over Mexico on Thursday, which it has not beaten since 2000, would be the next step in Canada’s ascendant trajectory as a CONCACAF power. -- Gus ElvinMEXICO: Martino's side finds the right form at just the right momentMexico faced a Honduran side that was weakened by illness and injury, which proved to be the perfect opponent for it to regain its confidence following a difficult group stage. El Tri was relentless in attacking the game in the first half. It scored three goals in twelve minutes, and had two more disallowed by offside calls.Report: Mexico defeats Honduras at the Gold Cup QFMexico's quarterfinal victory over Honduras was a relentless win. Omar Vega/Getty ImagesMexico almost matched the offensive output of its entire group stage against Honduras during Saturday's rout. Manager Gerardo "Tata” Martino used his 4-3-2 formation to drive through the wings most of the match. His lateral defenders were allowed to push up the field, creating mismatches against a beleaguered Honduran line. This created constant opportunities for El Tri's attackers. This strategy was flawless, as all three goals were directly or indirectly derived from a cross from the wide.While receiving a lot of criticism from Mexican media and fans before the quarterfinal, Rogelio Funes Moi, a striker, put in a strong performance at the front. He scored the game's first goal and continued to threaten Luis Lopez, the Honduran goalkeeper. Orbelin Pineda, winger of Funes Mori, formed an effective partnership in attack. Pineda scored his second goal off a header. This was helped in part by the solid performances of Luis Rodriguez and Jesus Corona. Honduras was unable to field many regular players due COVID-19 (or Alberth Elis' injury), and looked outmatched for most of the proceedings.Mexico is now in the semifinals against Canada, having overcome the previous rocky stage. It has a renewed expectation of being crowned Gold Cup champion. It is difficult to imagine that any foe will be able resist Mexico's new wide-ranging attack. Eric GomezQATAR: We are not here to make up numbersAlthough it was inevitable, Qatar arrived at the Gold Cup as the Asian Cup champions. However, the Qataris were 3-0 up against El Salvador on Saturday and something clicked in the minds the viewers: This team can play. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Qataris win the Gold Cup. Although it would take some luck, Qatar is undoubtedly the most entertaining tournament team due to its strong commitment in attacking soccer through four matches.- Report: Qatar hold off El SalvadorQatar was the host of the 2022 World Cup and needed to pass this type of test. Qatar is not expecting to make a strong run next year on its own soil. However, a competitive showing is a good way to measure success. What has stood out at the Gold Cup was Qatar's ability to use continuity to compensate for the absence of top-end talent.International soccer can be difficult because of the insufficient reps players get together. Qatar has started six players from Al Sadd, a domestic power, in the quarterfinals. All the tournament roster players play club soccer in Qatar Stars League. They have been able to provide consistent opportunities for the past few weeks because of this familiarity. Qatar is blessed with two talented forwards in Almoez Ali (and Akram Afif), who both played professionally in Europe and are now based in Qatar. They are the team's strength.The results have been inconsistent defensively. On Saturday, El Salvador almost erased the deficit of three goals while Panama scored three more to beat Meshaal Barsham, the goalkeeper in the opener. In the semifinal, expect a wide-open match against the U.S. Kyle BonaguraUNITED STATES: We are finally coming togetherThe team's progress in this tournament was highlighted by the victory of the U.S. men’s national team against Jamaica in quarterfinals of the Gold Cup. Some players, such as James Sands and Miles Robinson, have seen a steady rise. Matthew Hoppe was on top of his game to score the game's final goal.Despite the scoreline, the U.S. looked much better in their quarterfinal victory over Jamaica. ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty ImagesOthers have seen a slow growth, but some performances on Sunday were a bounce-back. This was evident in the U.S. middlefield, which was helped by Gregg Berhalter's tactical tweak. Gianluca Busio, who was mostly deployed as a No. 6, in support of Kellyn Lletget and Sebastian Acosta, but his remit also included the right to move forward when necessary. The trio faded with the game, with Busio struggling to make an impression.Berhalter changed some roles and Acosta was able to return to his traditional No. 6, and Busio were moved further upfield. It worked well, with possession at 65.8% and 34.2 %, respectively, as well as duels at 55.6% and 44.4%. It played to each player's strengths. Acosta added a little more bite, while Busio was free to add more to the attack. Lletget remains as patient and crafty on the ball. The U.S. became more powerful as the game progressed to the final stages. Substitutes Gyasi Zardes and Cristian Roldan also made significant contributions.These three players showed great cohesion and structure, which bodes well for the semifinal against Qatar. The Maroon looked amazing in transition and Jamaica did have some opportunities to threaten, but the U.S. midfield did a lot to stop those attacks. Acosta's ability to shoot from a distance is an asset.Although Thursday's semifinal against the reigning Asian champions is going to be tough, the U.S. team appears to be coming together at a good time. They could reach the final with another growth spurt. Jeff Carlisle
