The Dominican Republic's 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign faced a significant setback during their match against Suriname on June 22nd, 2025, when defender Edgar Pujol was shown a red card. The incident occurred around the 30th minute of the Group A match held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The initial decision by the referee was a yellow card, but after Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, it was upgraded to a red card for dangerous play. This left the Dominican Republic with only 10 men for the majority of the game, significantly impacting their chances of securing their first-ever Gold Cup victory.

Prior to the red card, the match was evenly contested, with both teams searching for an opening goal. The Dominican Republic started the game energetically, with Ronaldo Vasquez forcing a good save from Suriname's goalkeeper Warner Hahn early on. Suriname responded, with Gleofilo Vlijter hitting the post.

The sending off of Pujol noticeably shifted the momentum in favor of Suriname. Despite being a man down, the Dominican Republic managed to hold on, and the first half concluded with a 0-0 scoreline.

Both the Dominican Republic and Suriname entered the match already eliminated from contention for the knockout stage, having suffered defeats in their previous two group matches. The Dominican Republic lost narrowly to Mexico (3-2) and Costa Rica (2-1), while Suriname were defeated by Costa Rica (4-3) and Mexico (2-0). As such, the game was primarily about salvaging pride and aiming for a third-place finish in Group A.

The Dominican Republic's starting lineup for the match included Valdez in goal, with a defense of Urbaez, Kaparos, Pujol, and Dollenmayer. The midfield comprised Morschel, Rosario, and Lopez, while Reyes, Romero, and Gonzalez led the attack.

The Dominican Republic, currently ranked 139th in the FIFA world rankings, were making their debut appearance at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025. Football's popularity is growing in the Dominican Republic, even though baseball has traditionally been the most popular sport. The Dominican Football Federation has been focusing on developing youth national teams, with the aim of becoming a regular presence in the later stages of CONCACAF competitions.