Canada and Honduras advance from Group A after 0-0 draw

Alberth Elis, left, and Manjrekar James vie for the ball in a 0-0 draw between Honduras and Canada at the 2017 Gold Cup.
Alberth Elis, left, and Manjrekar James vie for the ball in a 0-0 draw between Honduras and Canada at the 2017 Gold Cup.
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Honduras and Canada finished 0-0 in an entertaining Group A finale that sees both teams advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF biennial competition.

Goals proved hard to come by on the evening, but chances were not. Canada's Marcel De Jong had two early opportunities to put his team in front, the first a close-range volley that went just over the crossbar and the second a low, line drive that hit the post.

Honduras could have been up at the break from a chested shot by Alberth Elis that was cleared off the line by Michael Petrasso as the teams went to the dressing room level at 0-0 after a back-and-forth first half.

Carlos Sanchez's 60th minute attempt went begging as his left-footed shot from a Jorge Claros pass skipped to the left of Milan Borjan's goal.

Claros then blazed a right-footed shot wide of the Canada net that was just inches from giving Honduras the lead.

Honduras then had a golden chance spurned in the 85th minute when Borjan was caught out of his goal and the ball fell to Elis, whose first-time volley bounced off a Canada defender and out of harm's way.

The result sees Canada through to the quarterfinals after finishing in second place in Group A, while Honduras is assured of being one of the best third-place finishers and makes the knockout rounds as well.