Havana, March 14 (RHC)- After beating Canada 5-3 at Daikin Park, the United States advanced with a ticket to the semifinals in the VI World Baseball Classic where they will face the Dominican Republic, which blanked South Korea 10-0.
The United States opened the scoring in the very first inning, but Canada, although they rallied, faltered in crucial moments.
Friday’s game was crucial for both North American teams. The team managed by Mark DeRosa began the tournament with a resounding 15-5 victory over Brazil, followed by a 9-1 win against Great Britain.
Team USA’s third victory came against Mexico, 5-3, but they surprisingly fell 6-8 to Italy, a team that finished undefeated and atop Group B, with the Americans in second place.
Meanwhile, Canada’s journey in Group A started well. They defeated Colombia 8-2, but then suffered an unexpected setback against Panama, losing 4-3.
However, the Canadians demonstrated their resilience, securing two consecutive victories, first against Puerto Rico and then against Cuba.
For Canada, reaching this stage is the best result in World Baseball Classic history: making it to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic continue this Saturday with Italy (Group B) vs. Puerto Rico (Group A), and Venezuela (Group D) vs. Japan (Group C).
Tomorrow, Sunday, the United States and the Dominican Republic will face off in the semifinals. And the grand final will be on Tuesday, the 17th.
