The Concacaf Gold Cup match between Curaçao and Canada at Houston Dynamo FC's Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday ended in a 1-1 draw, with a stoppage-time equalizer from Curaçao's Jeremy Antonisse.
Canada took an early lead in the ninth minute when Nathan Saliba scored his second goal of the tournament. A free kick from Jayden Nelson was headed upwards by a Curaçao defender, and Saliba volleyed the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Curaçao settled into the match after the initial goal and began creating chances. They came close to scoring twice in the first half, but Canada managed to maintain their lead.
In the second half, Curaçao continued to press for an equalizer. In the 66th minute, Jürgen Locadia appeared to have tied the game, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR review. Curaçao found the net again in the 85th minute, but it was once again ruled offside.
Canada seemed poised to secure a victory, but Curaçao's persistence paid off in the fourth minute of added time. Antonisse slid the ball past Dayne St. Clair and into the bottom right corner, leveling the score and securing a valuable point for his team. The goal was a result of Canada losing possession near midfield, allowing Antonisse to break through and score. His shot deflected off Zorhan Bassong, making it difficult for St. Clair to save.
The draw leaves Canada with four points in Group B, while Curaçao has two. Canada had defeated Honduras 6-0 in their opening match, while Curaçao had drawn 0-0 with El Salvador.
Canada will now face El Salvador in their final group stage match on Tuesday in Houston. Curaçao will play Honduras on Tuesday. With a win against El Salvador, Canada would secure first place in Group B and a spot in the quarterfinals against the runner-up in Group C. Curaçao could progress to the next round with a win over Honduras.
The match was played in hot conditions, with the temperature at 30 degrees Celsius at kickoff. Canada's coach, Jesse Marsch, was serving the second match of a two-game suspension and watched from the stands. Canada was also without star winger Alphonso Davies, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
