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Gold Cup Rewind: Mexico settles for scoreless draw with Jamaica, El Salvador tops Curacao

Photo by Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

With Pompilio Paiz directing Mexico on the bench, El Tri delivered a lackluster performance in the Mile-High City.

After both sides kicked off their Gold Cup journeys with three points, Mexico and Jamaica settled to a monotonous, 0-0, draw at Sports Authority Field on Thursday night.

In the 23rd minute, Houston Dynamo’s Erick ‘Cubo’ Torres delivered the clearest chance of the night. The forward headed a whipping cross, rattling the far side post and giving Andre Blake no time to react.

Moments later, Mexico and Dynamo fans grasped for air. When going down after an aerial collision, ‘Cubo’ would land awkwardly on his hand. The panic would only last a pair of minutes as the 24-year-old made his way to the pitch after medical attention.

Jesus Molina’s superb heading abilities made a cameo six minutes prior to the team’s splitting to the dressing room. The Monterey midfielder header header the ball short but with force; going just over the crossbar after its rebound.

Jamaica lacked to offer cohesion in its attack for the entirety of the match and as a result, recorded no shots on target. Mexico replicated just that from the Reggae Boyz in the second half; adding to the matches’ over-abundant dullness.

EL SALVADOR TOPS CURAÇAO

Prior to El Tri’s match, La Selecta moved a step closer to the Gold Cup’s knockout stage after defeating Curaçao.

With goals from Gerson Mayen and leading figure Rodolfo ‘Fito’ Zelaya, El Salvador routed the Caribbean island, 2-0, in Denver.

In four minutes, Eduardo Lara’s men earned the team its first points in this year’s Gold Cup. Following some brilliant passing inside Curaçao’s box, Mayen struck home a near post strike. Three minutes later in the 24th minute, ‘Fito’ Zelaya gave La Selecta a two-goal lead after a rocketing diagonal strike into the back of the net.

Curaçao’s Gold Cup struggles continue: conceding four goals and scoring none after two group-stage games.

Group C will wrap up on Sunday, where Jamaica will face El Salvador and Mexico takes on Curaçao.

Comments

  1. Wait, so Mexico struggled in group play as well?!? Say it isn’t so… Maybe it’s time for US fans who have been apoplectic about our team’s performance to chill a little. Both countries have sent in their C teams, and the results and quality of play will leave a lot to be desired. Let’s not draw broad conclusions about the state of our program because we didn’t beat Martinique by 5 goals.

    Reply
    • Haha I was thinking the same thing bro! I guess the people who don’t agree will opine that at least Jamaica has professional players in their team versus the so called amateurs that played for Martinique. The fact remains that Contains is just hard to play in, no mater the quality. Those Europeans teams that play the likes of Andorra, Estonia and other lowly teams in UEFA aren’t always blowouts but logic and perspective seems to escape people a lot of times

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