LAS VEGAS (AP) – Mexico struggled to the last stop in defense of its most recent Gold Cup title and will face the United States at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday to define the CONCACAF monarch.
El Tri paid with great suffering to return for the tenth time to the last match of the regional competition that they have won eight times, of which six have been against the Americans since the current competition system was implemented in 1991.
The ticket to the final went through a dramatic goal by midfielder Héctor Herrera to beat Canada 2-1 in the aftermath, in a duel that was suspended several minutes down the stretch because a sector of fans at the NRG Stadium in Houston uttered the homophobic cry that FIFA asked to sanction to be eradicated.
“I would love to dominate each game for 90 minutes and play what Mexico wants, but you can’t always,” said Argentine coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, about how he advanced to the final.
Martino, who is looking for his second Gold Cup title with El Tri, acknowledged that the group was not well for the semifinal, after learning before the game about the death of former soccer player Geraldo Francisco dos Santos “Zizinho”, father of the national team. Jonathan dos Santos and his brother Giovani.
“The father of one of our soccer players has just passed away. There is no way we can be okay. You had to take the game forward and nothing more than that, “said Martino about the victory without celebration for the mourning in the group.
The American journey was no less straightforward towards the final as they dispatched their last two elimination games 1-0, with targets in the final minutes. In the semifinals they beat the surprising guest Qatar with a goal from Gyasi Zardes, who missed a penalty to open the scoring in the complement.
His commitment to a group of young people is giving good returns to strategist Gregg Berhalter, who highlights the combative spirit, with which he hopes to achieve the goal of being monarch again for the seventh time and end the four-year wait since his last title of 2017.
“It is a very united group, with a lot of character and that never gives up. The players accepted the message of playing this tournament with the sole idea, with the sole purpose of winning it, ”said Berhalter. “We have not finished the task, we want to win the final, taking the Gold Cup is our goal.”
The most recent clash in the final between Mexicans and Americans was in the last edition of 2019, with a tri-color victory after a goal by Jonathan dos Santos. Mexico also claimed the titles of 1993, 1998, 2009 and 2011 by beating the United States, which only beat Tri in the final match in 2007.