The national soccer team of Panama and for the ninth time in a row record winners Mexico are the first two semi-finalists of the Gold Cup.
Thanks to a lightning hat-trick by Ismael Diaz (56th/63rd/65th), Panama knocked out guest starters Qatar 4-0 (1-0) in the quarter-finals in Arlington, Texas. In the At&T Stadium of the Dallas Cowboys football team, the Mexicans then also defeated the German World Cup group opponents Costa Rica 2-0 (0-0).
The eight-time winner of the continental tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean meets the winner of the outsider duel between Guatemala and Jamaica (Sunday/11:00 p.m. CEST) in the semi-finals. The USA and Canada (1.30 a.m. CEST) will then play against Panama in the top quarter-finals. Both matches will be played at the stadium of MLS club FC Cincinnati.
The Gold Cup, sponsored by the continental federation CONCACAF, has been held under this name since 1991. The USA has won it seven times and could draw level with Mexico.