Canada tops Gold Cup group beating nine-man El Salvador

Canada advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals by defeating El Salvador 2-0, with goals from Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan, securing the top spot in Group B and setting up a match with Guatemala. The match was marked by heavy fouling and chaos, with El Salvador reduced to nine men in the first half after Santos Ortíz received two yellow cards and Jairo Henríquez was shown a straight red for elbowing, making it the first time two players were sent off in the first half of a Gold Cup game and El Salvador's first nine-man appearance in the tournament. Canada dominated possession (71% in the first half), but the game's flow was disrupted by 22 fouls before halftime and an eight-minute delay for medical treatment. Coach Jesse Marsch returned from a two-match suspension and made significant lineup changes, emphasizing that his team must improve game management and emotional composure under pressure. El Salvador exited the tournament without scoring a goal and with two players set for suspensions in upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Other Gold Cup quarterfinals will see Mexico face Saudi Arabia and Panama take on Honduras.