The Celts march on to Sunday’s Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-finals | OneFootball

It was certainly a more positive outcome for two Celtic players on international duty with their respective countries last night than it had been in their previous Gold Cup encounters…

Concacaf Gold Cup-Group Stage-Curacao at Honduras Jun 24, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Honduras forward Luis Palma (17) shoots and scores a goal against Curacao defender Joshua Brenet (20) in the second half during a group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup at PayPal Park. San Jose PayPal Park California USA, Photo Stan Szeto

As we brought to you earlier on The Celtic Star, Luis Palma turned his nightmare time on international duty from subbed at half-time for Honduras against Canada, with his team eventually losing 6-0, to that of a national hero in his homeland, with an injury time winner as Honduras secured their Gold Cup qualification, with a 2-1 win over Dick Advocaat’s Curaçao.

Quite the turnaround for Luis after being benched for his side’s last match and only seeing a solitary minute of action.

Soccer: Concacaf Gold Cup-Group Stage-Curacao at Honduras Jun 24, 2025; San Jose, California, USA…Soccer: Concacaf Gold Cup-Group Stage-Curacao at Honduras Jun 24, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Honduras forward Luis Palma (17) celebrates after scoring against Curacao in the second half during a group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup at PayPal Park. San Jose PayPal Park California USA,

His goal was simply football art. The finish is wonderful but his first touch to kill the ball is just exquisite and the sort of technique that will make other clubs sit up and take notice.

While Palma was repairing his reputation, Celtic’s Alastair Johnston was also in Gold Cup action, and he was, as always, right in the thick of it.

JUNE 24th: Alistair Johnston 2 of Canada during the match between Canada and El Salvador in the Concacaf Gold Cup 2025, held at the Shell Energy Stadium, in Houston ,Texas PHOTO BY FABIAN MEZA/ STRAFFON

After his mistake led to Canada dropping two points in their previous Gold Cup encounter with Curaçao, Johnston was in the heart of the action, this time against El Salvador.

El Salvador would finish the game with nine-men, with Santos Ortiz also seeing red, as Canada sealed their qualification to the next stage of the Gold Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win.

Alastair Johnston thankfully was able to continue and doesn’t appear to have suffered anything other than some superficial damage, but it was a thuggish act from a frustrated opponent that could have caused some real damage.

Concacaf Gold Cup-Group Stage-El Salvador at Canada Jun 24, 2025 Houston, Texas, USA Canada defender Alistair Johnston 2 controls the ball defended by El Salvador midfielder Jairo Henriquez 17 in the first half during a group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup at Shell Energy Stadium. Houston Shell Energy Stadium Texas USA, photo Maria Lysaker

Meanwhile Alastair Johnston has been speaking to the Canadian media about his time with the national team but also his time in Scotland, particuarly the intense pressure that comes with playing for Celtic.

The interview is very much worth a watch, as he’s an engaging and honest lad, but here’s a snippet of Johnston admitting the smothering nature of playing and living in Glasgow resulted in him eventually moving house.

“It’s something that you hear about, you know, it’s a fishbowl, all these different things. You never really truly feel it or can understand or grasp it until you’re actually living it.

“So, I think through about the first six months to a year, I just kind of was taking everything in. And after that, it started to weigh on me.

“I could tell performances were lagging a little bit and I just felt like I was a little overwhelmed. And that’s when I actually started speaking to a sports psychologist and they really helped me with understanding, okay, yeah, being out in public in Glasgow is really difficult. It’s taxing and understanding that.

James Forrest of Celtic celebrates with Alistair Johnston after scoring his team’s equalising goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“And that’s when I decided I was gonna move from a flat in the West End and move out and get a house with a private garden and everything, so that we could have the dog running about and just have a bit more privacy.”

“And again, I’m only famous in a 20-mile radius of Glasgow.”

Thankfully however both Luis Palma and Alastair Johnston can look forward to knockout football at the Gold Cup, after far more impressive performances than in previous games.

It might also help Alastair Johnston re-charge those batteries ahead of another season in the Glasgow goldfish bowl and for Luis Palma he’s maybe now through the worst of his tough season and things will now improve for him at club level too.

Canada will play Guatemala in their Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final on Sunday 29 June.

Niall J

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