Jeremy Antonisse took his time. After all, he had plenty of it. The Curacao winger had made a burst forward in 94th minute, his side trailing 1-0 to Canada. And after an incisive feed into his path, the PSV winger had the space to consider the angles, ponder the distance between him and the goal, take an extra touch, and slot home past a helpless goalkeeper.
He turned away in celebration, but as he looked towards the fans, his teammates mobbing him, he peered into what was a largely empty stadium, Curacao supporters dotted in the seats throughout Shell Energy Stadium, home of Austin FC. Part of that, of course, was due to the fact that some of the loyal support had flooded out of the gates, assuming there was no way that the team could piece together a miraculous 1-1 draw.
But it spoke to a broader issue. This was one of the biggest games in the nation's history, the chance to pip a CONCACAF rising power. And the game didn't come close to selling out.
Such has been the story of the 2025 Gold Cup. It has offered plenty of quality, countless memorable moments, and a reinforcement of the jeopardy that the federation can bring. But with seemingly declining interest in the tournament itself, widely vacant stadiums, and the madness of the football calendar snatching some of its best talent away, there is a sense that even a good competition won't quite be enough.
The tournament is at a crossroads like never before. And no one quite has a solution.
