Jaime Lozano lifted his first trophy as Mexico head coach on Sunday after his El Tri squad outlasted Panama in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Final.
El Tri used an 88th minute winner from Santiago Gimenez to defeat Panama 1-0 in Las Vegas, winning the competition for the 12th time in federation history. Guillermo Ochoa registered two saves in the victory for El Tri.
Ochoa was forced into his first save after 12 minutes as the 38-year-old denied Yoel Barcenas’ long-range effort for Panama.
Uriel Antuna was denied an opening goal for Mexico later in the first half before VAR waved off Henry Martin’s finish in the 35th minute. Martin was whistled for offsides after Ochoa’s long-ball pass allowed the striker to race in towards Panama’s net.
Orlando Mosquera made two key saves before halftime to keep Panama level at 0-0. The veteran shot-stopper denied Orbelin Pineda’s right-footed shot in the 43rd minute before also repelling Martin’s close-range rebound attempt.
Mosquera continued to stand on his head for Panama, denying Martin and Antuna in quick succession after the hour mark.
Gimenez entered the match in the 85th minute with extra time looming, but the PSV man would deliver the go-ahead goal. Gimenez’s left-footed shot off a Mexico fast break snuck past Mosquera into the bottom-right corner for a 1-0 El Tri lead.
Mexico would hang on to capture its first Gold Cup title since 2019 while Panama suffered its third finals loss.
Uclabruin which confed cup dd mexico win they lost to Portugal IN 3rd place match payaso 🤡. Your a payaso clown thats not correct. Dont come for me bummy LA CAli! Bay area, San Jose Milpitas Cali all day! Your a troll fan with secret Benedict Arnold ties to mexico! MEX HAS WON GOLD CUP, THE POINT IS WHAT HAS MEX WON OUT OF NORTH AMERICA ???? GEO FAIL LIKE CHIVAS LIFE, I WILL WAIT!! Like Lil Jon says, don’t start no stuff won’t be no stuff!
Striker91- wow I feel like I lost some brain cells reading your comments. You write like a 12 year old that spends all day on social media. You confidently wrote that I am not correct, when I clearly was correct. After 2tone corrected you, instead of admitting that you were wrong you just moved the goal posts. It’s not worth having any discussions with you. Yawn.
Mexico won gold in the 2012 Olympics and won the 1999 COnFED cup. Mexico does have pedigree internationally.
If we going back to 1999 when I was 8 years old. Then what about USA getting 4th place SEMIFINAL FINISH at 1930 WC??????? Confed cup MEX won was at home IN NORTH AMERICA. WE NOT GONNA COUNT THAT AND U17 WC YOU ALL GOT BENEDICT AND STOCKHOLM SYDROME ALL IN YOU 🤦♂️
I’m 32 years old and confed cup was 1999 when I was 8 Mehico won! You all wind milling for Mehic 🤜 👊 🤦♂️😂 🤡
Anyone see Toluca vs Juarez? Isais a LB had a nice goal that was called off after VAR. His teammate Araujo kicked the Juarez GK in the nose. Point blank range and was given a red. I hope US is keeping tabs on the LB. Sebi Saucedo had a screamer for FC. Such beautiful eye candy, I had 2 watch it over and over again. Now, back on subject… Mexico acts like the GC is important.
Because they had to, lost three straight Concacaf competitions, didn’t get out of WC group, 4th seed in NL. They needed a win.
There was a time when the US brought its ‘A’ team to the Gold Cup since we couldn’t field a decent ‘B’ team. Now we’ve reached the point where players are turning down the invite to rest and focus on their clubs, and because we now can field a strong ‘B’ team. The ‘B’ team concept is reaping rewards for the US program, with giving young and fringe players high-level experience, identifying talent to build ‘A’ team depth, and providing training for players like Turner to stay sharp during the off-season. In fact, I’d even consider bringing in even more young players like Luna and others in the future.
These benefits are far more important in the long term than just trotting out the same best players like the other teams. We’ll start to see the value of this process later this year and in 2024 when some older players rotate out, and competition builds across the roster.
Not going to downplay their win. They brought most of their best players minus some injuries. On the other hand the US didn’t.
If CONCACAF wants to fix this tournament and the nations League it’s a very simple solution make both tournaments every “4” years with the Nations league one summer and the Gold cup the following summer. Just like UEFA does. There problems solved.
2stone, there is nothing to “fix” in the eyes of Concacaf. So the U.S. and Canada didn’t bring their best teams, so what? Other nations did. Fox and Univision still paid for the tournament. There were still mostly filled stadiums. Plenty of money was made.
Again, what needs to be fixed (from a Concacaf perspective)? You are looking at it only through the eyes of a U.S. fan. Your “solution” even means less money for Concacaf because you are eliminating a tournament.
Also I’ll go a step further here. It was disrespectful of US soccer to not bring more A team players to this tournament. It was disrespectful to CONCACAF, to the teams involved and to the US fan base. Now it is on CONCACAF as well scheduling both tournaments the same summer literally weeks apart. That’s why both of these tournaments need to go to a 4 year schedule. Also is the nations League really helping lower CONCAcAF teams? The new setup sees Mexico, USA, Canada, and Costa Rica playing at the QF stage.?.?.?.? I just don’t see how that helps lesser quality programs.
I totally get that, and agree. This tournament could be even more important if it’s only every 4 years.
2tone,
“It was disrespectful of US soccer to not bring more A team players to this tournament. It was disrespectful to CONCACAF, to the teams involved and to the US fan base.”
Neither the USSF nor the Mexican FA worry overmuch about disrespecting CONCACAF because w/o those two there is no CONCACAF and everyone knows that.
It’s about power and money.
And both FA’s have no shortage of arrogance either. For the US CONCACAF is a cheap and easy way to qualify for the World Cup and practice for the same. That’s it.
Going way back, when it suits their needs the other CONCACAF nations have often “B teamed” it. Then again most CONCACAF teams have no “B team”.
The US and Mexico needed the Nations League about as much as they needed another communicable disease but it was not set up for their sporting benefit.
The Nations League was established to give the other CONCACAF countries more international competition of a higher quality on a more regular basis. It’s fairly new yet so the increase in the quality won’t be obvious for a little while.
The reality is if every member were required to bring their strongest team to the Gold Cup and it were possible, it would almost always be a USMNT -Mexico final and it’s not even close.
There’s a really good reason why the only countries to win the Gold Cup are Mexico and the US, except for one Canada win back in 2000. It would be nice if the Gold Cup were our version of the Euros or Copa America but that’s not possible because outside of the US and Mexico the other countries are not consistently competitive. It is Rangers and Celtic all over again. And we all know what everyone thinks of the SPL.
Wow…..This hurts for real. Look at the team that won the Gold Cup. Not to take anything away from them…..but damn!!!!
DEFENDERS:
Julian Araujo (Barcelona B), Cesar Montes (Espanyol), John Vasquez (Cremonese), Gerardo Arteaga (Portsmouth), Jorge Sanchez (Ajax), Israel Reyes (America), Victor Guzman (Monterrey), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey)
MIDFIELDERS;
Edson Alvarez (Ajax), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Sebastian Cordova (UANL), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Luis Chavez (Pachuca)
Forwards:
Ozziel Herrera (Atlas), Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord), Erik Sanchez (Pachuca), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Henry Martin (America)
I think what is really bothering is that Mexico’s B -team doesn’t even come close to the USMNT II (not B team…..team 2!!!) talent level. We can build two teams, with the right coaches, and still be a CONCACAF threat / powerhouse.
We are wasting talent year after year. We need invest in a GREAT COACH that fits our group of players. Till then we are just spinning wheels…..
That’s not Mexico B that’s their A team minus Raul Jimenez, Tecatito, and Lozano all 3 have had major injury issues and especially the first two are getting up there in age. That being said those 3 across the front are infinitely more dangerous than Martin, Antuna, and Pineda. The question becomes what damage if any has Mexico done to a guy like Alvarez that finished at Ajax 5/28 and played against the US 6/16, and put in 550 mins during NL and GC? Ajax starts Eredivisie play Aug. 12. At least the Liga Mx guys have Leagues Cup so if they sit that out or get eliminated early have some down time, but Atuna played over 700 minutes for El Tri this summer.
8 players for el Tri’s ‘23 GC squad started during in the Winter WC, Bizzy Bone. Every country brought their A squad except the US, this we agree. US is a powerhouse; it has lots of unmined jewels and gems. The jewels and gems that are mined are used as paper weights to be sold to the highest bidder and not displayed as works of art.
Canada the second best team in the region didn’t bring their best 5 players that are Euro based. I’m not sure many teams could field a second roster and be competitive. The US lost in the semis to the runner up who lost on a late goal.
Gimenez plays for Feynoord not PSV
Booooo!Boooo! USA is still the Kings 👑 🏆 of Concacaf
How is ” USA is still the Kings 👑 🏆 of Concacaf”? What competition has the u.s won outside of North America? (excluding WUSNT)
Same for Mexico, you all never won a WC, Gold cup, Olympics, nor Confed cup. Also Concacaf is North America, geography fail much? You all also, failed to beat Jamaica at Azteca. Bro you really don’t want to have a show down/debate here, I will own you.
Striker 91, I am a USMNT fan and dislike the MEX National Team and agree that currently the USMNT A Team is slightly better than Mexico’s A Team..
But your confident comment would have been better if it were correct. Mexico has won the most Gold Cups, they won a Confed Cup at home, they have won a Gold Medal in the Olympics, and have won a Youth World Cup. We haven’t done any of that. That’s why these u-20 World Cup early exits have been so disappointing- we had teams good enough to win the tournament the last few u-20 World Cups that we were in. And that’s why losing that 2-0 lead versus Brazil in the Confed Cup was so devastating. This Gold Cup we could have tied Mexico in Gold Cup victories, but instead we brought a C-team and now we are behind by two Gold Cups again.
Internationally Mexico has been better historically, and we are playing catchup. But I am confident that moving forward we will catch up. The next 20-40 years I expect U.S. domination over Mexico and all the other Concacaf Nations.