When it comes to Canada and the Gold Cup, the team that won it all in 2000 is not only remembered for the country’s only title in the tournament but perhaps also as the country's best national team ever assembled.
Inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014, the team barely even made it out of the group stage, advancing on a coin flip. Canada had withdrawn from the previous tournament, in 1998, but made their return in a big way two years later. In the quarterfinals, they upset Mexico on a game-winning golden goal by defender Richard Hastings in extra time.
In the semifinals, Canada won 1-0 over Trinidad & Tobago, then beat Colombia 2-0 in the championship game. Captain Jason de Vos and Carlo Corazzin scored the goals in the title game, which was played at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Outside of their 2-1 win over South Korea in the third-place game to end the following tournament in 2002, Canada have not enjoyed much Gold Cup success – especially in the early days – having advanced out of the group stage only four times.
The Canucks' best performance in recent years came in 2007, when they won their group behind tournament MVP Julian De Guzman, Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad, then hammered Guatemala 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
The 2007 semifinal at Soldier Field in Chicago is still talked about as a "what-if" moment for Canadian soccer. Trailing 2-1 against the US (down to 10 men after a Michael Bradley red card) in second-half stoppage time, Atiba Hutchinson appeared to have tied the game for Canada, but the goal was ruled out for a suspect offside decision.
Canada won their group again in 2009 but fell in the quarters, 1-0 to Honduras. In 2011, they were seconds away from advancing out of a very difficult group that included the US, only to see Panama's Luis Tejada scramble in a stoppage-time goal that ultimately eliminated Canada on goal differential.
Last time out, in 2013, Canada were upset by tiny Martinique in their opener and never recovered, going winless and suffering elimination in the group stage. They will hope that 2015 feels a lot more like those millennial days of 2000.
Canada’s All-Time Gold Cup Results
1991: Group Stage
1993: Group Stage
1996: Group Stage
1998: Withdrew
2000: Champions
2002: 3rd Place
2003: Group Stage
2005: Group Stage
2007: Semifinals
2009: Quarterfinals
2011: Group Stage
2013: Group Stage
