It’s been just over eight years since Giovani dos Santos scored one of the greatest goals in Gold Cup history, putting the finishing touches on a 4-2 Mexico victory over the USMNT during the 2011 final. Fast forward to the present day and it’s his younger brother, Jonathan, who’s cemented El Tri’s continental dominance.
Anyone who has been to or even just watched on TV one of Mexico’s 2019 Gold Cup matches this summer knows it to be true: El Tri fans are still using the anti-gay chant during opposition goal kicks. Fans don’t seem to care that it is indisputably anti-gay and continue to use it despite tame, failed attempts from the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) to stop them.
Mexico’s quest for its eighth Gold Cup — and first since 2015 — almost came to an abrupt end in Houston last night in front of over 70,000 at NRG Stadium. Raúl Jiménez had given El Tri a first half lead, only for Costa Rica to respond in the second half via a converted Bryan Ruiz penalty.
That would be the only scoring on the night, so the match would be decided on penalties. The shootout started as a nightmare for Mexico after Jiménez had his shot saved while Celso Borges converted for Costa Rica.
What is happening with Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez at West Ham? The Mexico legend has had an inconsistent time at the club and was in and out of the line up during the 2018-19 English Premier League season.
The much-loved forward moved to the Hammers during the 2017-18 season after an incredibly successful time in the Bundesliga, spending two years with Bayer Leverkusen where he made 61 appearances and scored 28 goals. That success has not translated well to the EPL, where he’s managed 16 goals in two years at West Ham, often coming in and out of the starting line-up.
The 2019 Gold Cup is in full motion and the group stages are wrapping up with the protagonists you would expect to make it to the next phase making it into the knockout stages. The tournament is Concacaf's premier regional tournament that comes every two years and almost always features the same two in the final: the United States and Mexico, with Mexico often coming out on top. That wasn’t the case in the last edition of the Copa Oro, with the U.S. taking home the cup, beating Jamaica 2-1 in the final. Jamaica definitely had an unexpected run to the final and Mexico disappointed.
You just can’t give Andres Guardado that much space.
Canada may have one of its best squads in decades, but if it wants to compete for its first Gold Cup since 2000, the Canucks will have to defend better than they did early in the second half against Mexico.
El Tri kicked off its battle to regain the CONCACAF Gold Cup last Saturday night, and what a way to start the campaign. The Mexicans outplayed their Cuban counterparts in a overwhelmingly one-sided match.
21-year-old LA Galaxy talent Uriel Antuna kicked off the scoring with a right-footed shot inside the box after the ball rebounded from the post. Raul Jimenez announced himself at the Copa Oro with a goal at the 31st minute, and his goal again showed how well he does at holding off pressure from opposition players.
Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa is not happy with Mexico’s warm up matches leading up to the 2019 Gold Cup. He blasted the Mexican Football Federation after the Ecuador game, a friendly that El Tri went on to win. His biggest criticism was rooted in his belief that the federation continues to put profit over the safety of players, which has been something that’s been repeated in the past from other players.
Summer in the soccer world is a time of hope, drama, disappointment, loss and new beginnings. In a footballer’s life, it could be a time of complete change and new opportunities; new challenges to take on. This summer is proving no different.
There is hope that teams can add players that will make them stronger and more competitive — take Real Madrid buying Eden Hazard and various others after a disappointing 2018-19 season. There is drama circulating too, with Gareth Bale being a lighting rod of speculation at Real as well.