Gold Cup 2017: Semifinals Teams, Schedule After Quarterfinal Results

Jamaica and Mexico clinched their spots in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals Thursday with victories over Canada and Honduras, respectively, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The two clubs joined the United States—which beat El Salvador Wednesday—and Costa Rica—which beat Panama Wednesday—as the four teams with championship hopes remaining.

With that in mind, here is a look at the semifinals schedule as well as a prediction for the game to watch in the upcoming round.

Semifinals Schedule

The United States will face Costa Rica in Saturday's semifinal match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 10 p.m. ET. Mexico and Jamaica will play in the other semifinal match at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The final will take place Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The schedule is courtesy of the Gold Cup's official website.  

Thursday's Action

Matt York/Associated Press

Jamaica's Shaun Francis wasted little time with a goal in the sixth minute of Thursday's opening contest, putting his side up for good against Canada in a 2-1 victory.

CONCACAF shared the opening strike:

Romario Williams appeared to put things away for Jamaica with a goal in the second half, but Canada's Junior Hoilett made it 2-1 in the 61st minute. However, Jamaica goaltender Andre Blake stood strong in the face of a number of Canadian attacks down the stretch and clinched the victory.

Like Jamaica, Mexico didn't hesitate to seize momentum in what turned into a 1-0 win.

Rodolfo Pizarro scored the lone goal in the fourth minute on a perfectly placed pass from Elias Hernandez right in front of the net. CONCACAF passed along the highlight:

The quick goal was not a sign of things to come as each offense bogged down during a number of scoring opportunities. The 1-0 result was also a testament to strong showings from both defenses, but Honduras' finishing ability went missing throughout the critical moments of the match.

Mexico will now look to maintain its formidable defensive play moving forward with two victories separating it from a Gold Cup title.

Semifinal Game to Watch: United States vs. Costa Rica

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

American fans are intimately familiar with Costa Rica considering the Red, White and Blue suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Los Ticos in a November World Cup qualifier that ultimately led to coach Jurgen Klinsmann's ousting.

The United States will have a chance at revenge in the Gold Cup and will face a Costa Rica attack that struggled in a 1-0 victory over Panama in the quarterfinals. Costa Rica advanced because of an own goal from Panama, although its defense has thrived in this tournament with three shutouts in four matches.

However, Franco Panizo of MLS' official website pointed out "Costa Rica's attack will likely have to come to life if they wish to advance." Panizo noted Los Ticos have just six goals in the tournament with three coming in a single match.

Even with a strong defense, Costa Rica's offensive concerns will prevent it from keeping up with an American side now playing with Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Darlington Nagbe.

The Americans will also be motivated considering coach Bruce Arena said, "Hopefully we can remember that," when discussing the 4-0 loss to Costa Rica, per Jonathan Tannenwald of The Inquirer.

Tannenwald noted Arena is undefeated in his current 12-game tenure as the United States has played better since moving on from Klinsmann. That will continue in the Gold Cup semifinal against Costa Rica in a statement showing with another critical World Cup qualifier looming against the same team in September.

Prediction: United States 2, Costa Rica 1