The US advanced to the final of the CONCACAF regional soccer tournament by scoring two first-half goals on the way to a 2-1 victory over Canada in a match that ended amid controversy.
Frankie Hejduk in the 39th minute and Landon Donovan from the penalty spot in the 45th gave the defending champion US a 2-0 halftime lead and they held on book their sixth appearance in the Gold Cup final in nine editions of the tournament.
The title match is tomorrow at Chicago's Soldier Field.
The USA-Canada match ended acrimoniously after Canada's Atiba Hutchinson appeared to have knotted the score in injury time, only to have officials rule the play offside.
Vehement argument
Canadian players argued the call vehemently and had to be restrained from going after the linesman as he left the field at the end of the match.
"Their player headed the ball backwards, so we can't be offsides in that situation," Canadian coach Stephen Hart insisted.
"Referees are something I am not in control of, and they are like us, they have good days and bad days," he said.
Canada's Dwayne De Rosario said his teammates "feel cheated."
"When you play teams like US and Mexico, you are not going to get calls, you have to beat them straight up," he said.
The US had opened the scoring in the 39th minute when Hejduk capitalized on Donovan's center pass to the top of the penalty box.
Hejduk's first goal of the tournament and sixth career international goal was blasted low off the inside of the left post and into the back of the net.
The US team went on the attack again in the 45th, when DaMarcus Beasley broke free down the left side and was taken down by netminder Patrick Onstad, setting up a penalty kick.
Donovan took the penalty and drilled the ball to the center of the net as Onstad dived to his right. It was Donovan's third goal of this tournament and his 11th overall in Gold Cup competition.
Iain Hume pulled one back for Canada in the 76th minute, collecting a pass from Hutchinson above on the right and firing a hard left-footed drive.
The US will be bidding for a fourth title tomorrow, having won in 1991 and 2002 as well as most recently in 2005.
They lost to Mexico in the finals in 1993 and 1998.
The Gold Cup winners qualify for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.
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