Guatemala upsets Canada in Gold Cup quarterfinal penalty shootout

Guatemala prevailed 6-5 in the shootout after surviving a costly mistake in the fifth round. Left back Jose Morales buried the winning penalty right down the middle, sending the Guatemalan contingency into a frenzy.

The players immediately gathered in a prayer circle at midfield to celebrate the biggest upset in team history. Canada is ranked No. 30 by FIFA compared to No. 106 for Guatemala.

Canada is 93 times larger than Guatemala, but the purple seats at U.S. Bank Stadium were filled with screaming fans in blue as they watched "Los Chapines" claw their way back into a match that seemed to be tilted against them.

The Red Maple Leafs opened the scoring in the first half with a controversial penalty, but Guatemala equalized late in the second half after Canada was forced to play with 10 men. Jacob Shaffelburg was sent off with his second yellow card just before halftime.

Guatemala now advances to the Gold Cup semifinals and will play the United States on July 2.

It's now the deepest "Los Chapines" have gone in the tournament's history, only seven years after its federation had a lengthy suspension lifted by FIFA in 2018.