Canada and Trinidad Do Have Surprise on Their Sides

One Mexican newspaper called it “a national letdown.”

Another described it as “more than just a painful defeat, it was an all-round failure.”

Without a doubt, it was the biggest upset in the nine-year history of the Gold Cup, a result that, four days later, remains difficult to comprehend: Canada 2, Mexico 1, in the Gold Cup quarterfinals.

Mexico, the predominant soccer-playing nation in the North American region, owner of a top-10 world ranking and a 12-game Gold Cup undefeated streak, was supposed to make Canadian bacon out of its upstart quarterfinal opponent--an easy Sunday brunch en route to a fourth consecutive Gold Cup title.

Canada?

Get real. The Canadians entered the match ranked 85th in the world--with an all-time record of 2-13-5 against Mexico. Aggregate score in those 20 matches: Mexico 51, Canada 12. The last time the two countries played in the Gold Cup, in a 1993 round-robin match, Mexico won, 8-0. Canada defeats Mexico on the soccer pitch--in San Diego, mere miles from the border?

You might as well ask Mexico to lace up the skates and beat Canada in ice hockey.

Yet there sits Canada in the Gold Cup final four, with an 8 p.m. semifinal encounter tonight at the Coliseum against Trinidad and Tobago, one more improbable victory from the championship game.

Instead of the expected Mexico-Costa Rica semifinal, tonight’s match will pit two longshots making their first Gold Cup final four appearances.

If not for Canada, Trinidad would rank as the success story of the tournament--advancing this far without two of its three best players, injured forward Stern John and goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, and only a partial assist from the third, striker Dwight Yorke.

Yorke played in Trinidad’s two group games before being was ordered back to England by his club team, Manchester United. He played 30 minutes in United’s 1-0 victory over Leeds Sunday before limping off with a thigh strain. Yorke has rejoined the national team in Los Angeles, but his availability remains uncertain.

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Gold Cup

SEMIFINALS

Tonight at Coliseum

Trinidad and Tobago vs. Canada, 8 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday at Coliseum

Colombia vs. tonight’s winner, noon