Which Gold Cup quarter-final will end in an upset?

The United States Men's National Team and Mexico, the co-favourites, will play two of Central America's strongest national teams, Canada will look to crash Jamaica's party, and Costa Rica will aim to maintain its momentum from the 2014 World Cup.

Eight teams are still standing at the Gold Cup, and, although the group stage offered little in the way of upsets, the quarter-final games could produce one or two surprises.

Here, theScore analyses the four matches and predicts which, if any of the four matches, will end in an upset.

Costa Rica vs. Panama

Michael J. Chandler: On paper, the only of the four last-eight tilts not to feature a prior Gold Cup winner favours 2014 World Cup quarter-finalist Costa Rica.

And why not? Oscar Ramirez's La Sele have made the knockout stage in each of the last nine Gold Cups, and this time around, FIFA's 26th-ranked side boasts an experienced squad with the likes of captain Bryan Ruiz, New York City FC attacker Rodney Wallace, and Celtic ball-stopper Cristian Gamboa.

That said, Panama entered the 2017 installment on the heels of topping the U.S. in penalties for third-place honours after narrowly losing a semi-final clash to Mexico in extra-time in 2015, and has arguably made a better account of itself than the side ranked 26 spots higher. Panama's group stage opening draw with Bruce Arena's lot was the first time the U.S. failed to win a Gold Cup opener, and despite meeting 40 times previously, this is bizarrely the first time Panama and Costa Rica have played in CONCACAF's marquee contest. Wallace's NYCFC teammate, Miguel Camargo, has been particularly good, and with Costa Rica set to miss out on Whitecaps playmaker Christian Bolanos, we're defying convention here and taking Panama.

Prediction: Panama 2, Costa Rica 1 (a.e.t.)

USMNT vs. El Salvador

Armen Bedakian: The United States turned its Gold Cup campaign up another notch by adding veterans like Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Tim Howard for this next round, just in time to try to overwhelm an El Salvador side that barely squeaked into the quarter-final stage.

So the real question we're asking ourselves here isn't if the Stars and Stripes can defeat Los Cuscatlecos, but if dropping players like Dom Dwyer, Alejandro Bedoya, and Kelyn Rowe for more experienced figures was the right call for Bruce Arena. Indeed, El Salvador, the last team to qualify for the round of eight, has barely figured in the second half of its group stage matches, scoring all four of its goals before the half-hour mark and then fading out as the clock ticked on. But the team has also conceded four times, and, as Mexico showed, its weakness out wide can be exploited without much effort.

All that considered, it's up to the United States to win, and those expectations, coupled with an unfamiliar team makeup midway through the tournament, might throw Arena's side off tactically in this early knockout stage. But it's hard to see El Salvador doing enough damage to send the U.S. packing, either.

Prediction: United States 3, El Salvador 1

Jamaica vs. Canada

Armen Bedakian: Canada's valiant efforts in the group stage have certainly garnered attention, most of it pointed toward teenage sensation Alphonso Davies, who put in three dominant showings in the opening stanza of this competition. Now, Canada welcomes back Cyle Larin into the fold and faces Jamaica, a team that lost the 2015 affair to Mexico in the final but remains an ever-present threat.

Whether Larin should be in the team is a point of contention, as the Orlando City striker missed the group stage after being charged with a DUI. But his quality and talent instantly bolsters Canada's attack, which should serve Octavio Zambrano's side well enough in this next stage. Certainly, Canada will need Larin's scoring touch to overcome Jamaica, and any team that follows. If there's an upset in this round of the tournament, you can bet the boys in red are behind it.

Prediction: Canada 2, Jamaica 1

Mexico vs. Honduras

Carlo Campo: Mexico will face its most serious challenge yet at the Gold Cup when El Tri takes the pitch alongside Honduras in Phoenix. Of course, that isn't saying much, given that Group C featured Jamaica, El Salvador, and Curacao.

It's hard to envision a scenario in which Mexico loses to Honduras. For all the problems surrounding El Tri at the Gold Cup, and there are many - Juan Carlos Osorio's suspension and an inability to score against weaker opponents, just to name a few - Los Catrachos were downright embarrassing in the group stage. They failed to tally a single goal and only progressed to the quarter-finals after French Guiana forfeited a match for fielding Florent Malouda.

Honduras will likely rely on a combination of time-wasting, defending in its own half, and committing logical fouls, hoping for a penalty shootout. If Mexico can make its way through Los Catrachos' physical obstacle course just once, that should be enough for El Tri.

Prediction: Mexico 2, Honduras 0

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)