Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-06-17 From: Xinhuanet

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Xinhua) — Ali Gerba scored two in the first half as Canada reached the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals for the second time in the last four tournaments with a 3-0 win over Guatemala in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday.

Gerba scored in the 33rd and 44th minutes after Dwayne De Rosario was credited with the first goal in the 17th, and tightened their defense in the second half against a tiring Guatemala.

Goalkeeper Pat Onstad made his only save in the first half.

“I was very surprised because I thought they would play very similar to how they played the U.S. and put pressure,” Canada manager Stephen Hart said.

In the semifinals, Canada will meet defending champion United States, which defeated Panama 2-1 later Saturday.

On Sunday in Houston, Honduras faces Guadeloupe and Mexico plays Costa Rica in the other quarterfinals.

The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday night in Chicago, where the final will be played three days later.

Canada won the Gold Cup in 2000 and lost in the semifinals to the United States in 2002.

Mexico, which have won four times, and the United States, with three titles, are the only other champions since the tournament began in 1991.