2023-07-13 04:52:02
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Forward Henry Martin and midfielder Luis Chavez scored in the first half hour of Wednesday’s game as Mexico cruised to a 3-0 rout of Jamaica to qualify for the Gold Cup final, where they will meet with Panama.
Martín shook the net first after two minutes and Chávez masterfully took a free kick at minute 30 to extend the lead. In the last minute of the match, Roberto Alvarado scored the third target.
Panama gave the surprise in the first game of the day and left the United States out by way of penalties. The final will be next Sunday at the SoFi stadium in Los Angeles.
It will be the first confrontation between the Canaleros and El Tri since they met for third place in the League of Nations, a match that was won by the Mexicans.
Mexico seeks to recapture the title of this tournament after losing to the United States in the edition a couple of years ago.
El Tri will play the duel for the title despite the fact that they changed coaches five days after their presentation in the tournament, when the leaders dismissed the Argentine Diego Cocca and placed Jaime Lozano as interim.
Lozano was chosen because he led Mexico to the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, where he coached 10 players currently on the roster, including Martín, one of three players over 23 in that tournament.
Although the leaders made it clear that Lozano’s appointment would cover only the duration of the Gold Cup, a title next Sunday could make them reconsider.
Mexico took the lead when Jesús Gallardo sent a cross down the left flank to Martín, who fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Andre Blake’s right post.
El Tri came close to extending their lead on nine minutes when Erick Sánchez fired a shot from inside the area, which was parried with difficulty by Blake.
The Mexicans took a 2-0 lead when Chávez took a free kick just outside the box and slotted the ball into Blake’s right corner.
Jamaica generated very little in the first half, but was better in the second half and brought danger closer to 53, with a shot from Michail Antonio that went slightly wide.
Antonio himself knocked on the door again with a shot inside the area at minute 74 that was contained by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Mexico sealed the score in the 90th minute, when Gallardo sent another cross from the left into the six-yard box, where Alvarado arrived to push the ball into the back of the net.
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