Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's soccer and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the CONCACAF Championship was the regions' primary competition. It is currently held every two years. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States have hosted or co-hosted every tournament. Since then it has expanded to more countries in North America.[1]

From 1973 to 1989, the tournament doubled as the confederation's World Cup qualification. CONCACAF's representative team at the FIFA Confederations Cup was decided by a play-off between the winners of the last two tournament editions in 2015 via the CONCACAF Cup, but was then discontinued along with the Confederations Cup.

Since the inaugural tournament in 1963, the Gold Cup was held 27 times and has been won by seven different nations, most often by Mexico (12 titles).

Canada entered the tournament for the first time in 1973, and have qualified for 18 more tournaments since then. Often, they qualified automatically. Once, in 2015, Canada co-hosted the tournament. However, only two group matches were played in Toronto, and the rest at different venues within the United States. They again co-hosted in 2023, with a match played in Toronto like in 2015.

Canada is one of only four teams to have won the continental championship more than once. They won their first title in 1985, excluding Mexico (hosts) a year in which the tournament doubled as CONCACAF's qualification phase for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[2] The second title was won in 2000, when Canada beat invitees Colombia 2–0 in the final in Los Angeles.[3] as well as Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago on route. Key to Canada’s success was Carlo Corazzin winning the golden boot and goalkeeper Craig Forrest winning best player, a rare accolade for a goalkeeper at an international tournament.

Overall record

CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D* L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Did not enter Did not enter
Guatemala 1965
Honduras 1967
Costa Rica 1969
Trinidad and Tobago 1971
Haiti 1973 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 6 7
Mexico 1977 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 7 8 Squad 5 2 2 1 5 3
Honduras 1981 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 6 6 Squad 4 1 3 0 4 3
1985 Champions 1st 8 5 3 0 11 4 Squad Qualified automatically
1989 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 3
United States 1991 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 6 9 Squad Qualified automatically
Mexico United States 1993 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 3 11 Squad
United States 1996 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 4 5 Squad
United States 1998 Withdrew Withdrew
United States 2000 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 7 3 Squad 3 2 1 0 4 2
United States 2002 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 5 4 Squad Qualified automatically
Mexico United States 2003 Group stage 9th 2 1 0 1 1 2 Squad
United States 2005 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad
United States 2007 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 0 2 9 5 Squad
United States 2009 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 3 Squad
United States 2011 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad
United States 2013 Group stage 11th 3 0 1 2 0 3 Squad
Canada United States 2015 Group stage 10th 3 0 2 1 0 1 Squad
United States 2017 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 6 5 Squad
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 0 2 14 6 Squad 4 4 0 0 18 1
United States 2021 Semi-finals 4th 5 3 0 2 11 5 Squad 4 3 0 1 10 4
Canada United States 2023 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 3 0 8 6 Squad 4 3 0 1 11 3
Total 2 Titles 19/27 76 30 23 23 106 93 — 30 17 7 6 61 26
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

1985 CONCACAF Championship

The 1985 Championship was played over a seven-month period. The nine teams played in three round-robin groups. The three winners played the final round-robin group in August and September.[4]

Thanks to Canada's away win in Honduras three weeks earlier, Canada was one point ahead in the group table before the final match. This meant the winner would win the tournament and qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Considering the following 2–1 victory over Honduras came hand-in-hand with Canada's first and only World Cup qualification, it can be considered Canada's greatest success in soccer history. However, they managed to avoid the "big two", Mexico and the United States, because Mexico did not participate as hosts of the 1986 World Cup and the U.S. were eliminated by Costa Rica in the first round.[5]

At the World Cup the following year, Canada was eliminated after three defeats in the Group Stage to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union.[6]

Match overview
Round Opponent Score Result Venue Scorer(s)
First round Haiti2–0WVictoria, CanadaI. Vrablic, M. Sweeney
 Guatemala2–1WVictoria, CanadaD. Mitchell (2)
 Guatemala1–1DGuatemala City, GuatemalaD. Mitchell
 Haiti2–0WPort-au-Prince, HaitiD. Mitchell, I. Vrablic
Final round Costa Rica1–1DToronto, CanadaP. James
 Honduras1–0WTegucigalpa, HondurasG. Pakos
 Costa Rica0–0DSan José, Costa Rica
 Honduras2–1WSt John's, CanadaG. Pakos, I. Vrablic

2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup

At the 2000 Gold Cup, twelve nations were divided into four groups of three teams, the first two of which would qualify for the knock-out matches. With Colombia, Peru and South Korea, three Non-CONCACAF-members participated as invitees.

After all three matches of Canada's Group D ended as draws, a coin toss was needed to determine whether Canada or South Korea would advance to the knockout stage. Canada won the toss and eventually the tournament, eliminating Mexico on the way and winning the final 2–0 against Colombia.[7][8]

The title victory allowed Canada to represent CONCACAF at the 2001 Confederations Cup, where they were eliminated in the Group Stage.[9]

Match overview
Round Opponent Score Result Venue Scorer(s)
Group stage Costa Rica2–2DSan Diego, United StatesC. Corazzin (2)
 South Korea0–0DLos Angeles, United States
Quarter-finals Mexico2–1 (a.e.t.)WSan Diego, United StatesC. Corazzin, R. Hastings
Semi-finals Trinidad and Tobago1–0WLos Angeles, United StatesM. Watson
Final Colombia2–0WLos Angeles, United StatesJ. de Vos, C. Corazzin

See also

References
  1. "CONCACAF expands Gold Cup to 16 teams". ESPN. February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  2. Moment 2: Canada wins CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada Soccer, June 2, 2012, retrieved February 21, 2019 – via YouTube
  3. "Gold Cup: Fifteen years after historic title, why do Canada continue to lag behind CONCACAF powers?". Major League Soccer. July 8, 2015.
  4. "Canada ready to make mark at 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  5. "CCCF and Concacaf Championships". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  6. "Remembering Canada's '86 World Cup team". CBC. July 1, 2020. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  7. "Canadian Champions Look Back On The 2000 Gold Cup". MLS Multiplex. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  8. "CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  9. "Moment 2: Canada wins CONCACAF Gold Cup". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
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