El Tri qualified for their 11th showdown following a dominant 3-0 victory over Jamaica, while the Canal Men got the better of the reigning champions USA on penalties.
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The final of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup is set to take place at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night with the seven-time champions Mexico facing surprise package Panama. El Tri qualified for their 11th showdown following a dominant 3-0 victory over Jamaica, while the Canal Men got the better of the reigning champions USA on penalties. Meanwhile, the last meeting between these two sides was less than a month ago in the Nations League third-place playoff, which went in favour of the Mexicans thanks to Jesus Gallardo’s lone goal inside the opening four minutes.
It’s the 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 countdown. ⏳
It’s the 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 day before. 😤
It’s the #GoldCup 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥. 🏆#MéxicoJuega pic.twitter.com/6GUPvwpzvw
— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) July 16, 2023
When this tournament began, not many would have considered the Mexicans to be favourites to lift the trophy, as they are going through a transition phase. But, against all odds, El Tri have reached the showdown under the stewardship of Jaime Lozano, who took charge of the side following the departure of Diego Cocca after the disappointing Nations League campaign last month. The Tricolor are showing signs of renaissance under the 44-year-old tactician, having stormed their way into the final, scoring 12 goals and conceding just two from last five games. In the semi-final clash against Jamaica on Wednesday night, the Mexicans scored three times without reply thanks to first-half efforts from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez and Roberto Alvarado’s 93rd-minute strike.
Panama, on the other hand, have reached the final of the Gold Cup for the first time in a decade. To the surprise of many, Thomas Christiansen’s men held of a lethal American attack for 90 minutes on Wednesday, before breaking the deadlock through Ivan Anderson’s 99th-minute effort. Although, Jesus Ferreira leveled the score for the hosts and forced the game into penalties, the Canal Men prevailed 5-4. The Panamanians are aiming to lift their first trophy since capturing the now defunct Copa Centroamericana in 2009 and also become the first Central American nation to win the Gold Cup.
Mexico probable starting lineup: Ochoa, J. Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo, Antuna, Chavez, Romo, Pineda, E. Sanchez, Martin
Panama probable starting lineup: Mosquera, Escobar, Cummings, Andrade, Barcenas, Carrasquilla, Godoy, Davis, Fajardo, Quintero, Diaz
Mexico
| Opponents | Score |
| Jamaica | 0-3 (W) |
| Costa Rica | 2-0 (W) |
| Qatar | 0-1 (L) |
| Haiti | 1-3 (L) |
| Honduras | 4-0 (W) |
Panama
| Opponents | Score |
| USA | 1-2 (W) |
| Qatar | 4-0 (W) |
| El Salvador | 2-2 (D) |
| Martinique | 1-2 (W) |
| Costa Rica | 1-2 (W) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Mexico beat Panama | 1-0 |
| Mexico beat Panama | 1-0 |
| Panama draw Mexico | 1-1 |
| Mexico beat Panama | 3-0 |
| Mexico beat Panama | 0-3 |
The Gold Cup fixture between Mexico and Panama will take place at SoFi Stadium on Monday at 5:00 am IST.
| Mexico vs Panama | Key Details |
| Date | July 16 (USA) |
| Venue | SoFi Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Mexico | 5:30 pm (Sunday) |
| Kickoff time in Panama | 6:30 pm (Sunday) |
| Kickoff time in USA | 7:30 pm (Sunday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 5:00 am (Monday) |
Football fans in USA can catch the live action via TUDN, Univision and Fox Sports network. Meanwhile, Mexicans can watch the match on Azteca 7, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, VIX + and TUDN en Vivo and those in Panama can tune to Star + and ESPN Norte.
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