Jozy Altidore scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Guadeloupe on Tuesday as the United States seized the last quarter-final berth on offer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The United States advance as the runners-up in Group C behind Panama, who sealed their group win with a 1-1 draw over Canada.
That result also insured that Group A's El Salvador would advance as one of the top two third-placed teams. The Americans, whose shock loss to Panama had put them in a precarious position, gained some breathing room when Altidore buried a driving shot from 25 meters in the ninth minute.
The defeat was the third in a row for Guadeloupe, surprising semi-finalists four years ago. Earlier at Sporting Park, Luis Tejada scored in a goalmouth scramble in the first minute of injury time to give Panama their 1-1 draw.
The quarter-finals of the tournament, which is the regional championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean, will be held next weekend. On Saturday at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, defending champions and Group A winners Mexico will take on Guatemala and Costa Rica face Honduras.
The semi-finals will be held on Wednesday, June 22 in Houston, with the final slated for Saturday, June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The winners of the tournament book a berth in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.