In a dramatic quarterfinal clash at the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Honduras prevailed over Panama in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. The tense match, held in Glendale, Arizona, saw Honduras advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2013.
Panama had entered the quarterfinal as the winner of Group C with a perfect 3-0-0 record, scoring a tournament-high 10 goals in the group stage. Honduras, meanwhile, finished as the runner-up in Group B.
Panama dominated possession in the first half, finally breaking through just before halftime. Cristian Martínez was fouled in the penalty area by Honduras' Edwin Rodríguez in the 44th minute. Ismael Díaz, who was already leading the Gold Cup Golden Boot race, calmly converted the penalty, sending his shot into the bottom left corner of the net to give Panama a 1-0 lead. The goal was Diaz's sixth of the tournament, surpassing Gabriel Torres for the most goals by a Panamanian player in a single Gold Cup.
Honduras struggled to create scoring opportunities for much of the match but found a spark late in the second half. In the 82nd minute, Anthony Lozano deflected a shot from Carlos Pineda into the corner of the net following a corner kick, leveling the score and igniting the Honduran supporters.
With the score tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time, the match went into extra time, but neither team could find a winning goal, leading to a penalty shootout. Both teams made their first four penalty kicks. Honduras had a chance to win on their fifth attempt, but Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera made a diving save to deny Lozano. However, Panama's Eduardo Guerrero then sent his penalty kick over the crossbar, giving Honduras another opportunity to win. This time, Carlos Pineda stepped up and confidently buried his shot into the bottom left corner, securing the 5-4 shootout victory for Honduras.
Honduras will now face Mexico in the semifinals on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. This will be Honduras' first appearance in the Gold Cup semifinals since 2013.
Despite the loss, Panama had a strong showing in the tournament, with Ismael Díaz emerging as a top scorer. They were seeking their first Gold Cup title after finishing as runner-up three times.
