Mexico started the Gold Cup with a solid victory over Honduras in their tournament opener. A final of 4-0 was a clear statement for a Mexican squad that needed to change the perception they left in the Nations League, when they lost against the USA in the semifinal that caused the firing of their coach Diego Cocca.
Mexico took advantage of a defensive miscue at the 2nd minute of action and scored the first one of the match. Luis Romo scored the 1-0 with a great shot from outside the box to beat Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez.
@Vos_Castellanos
After the goal, it was all Mexico. They controlled the midfield and with that, the tempo of the game. They also were strong in defense. Edson Alvarez along with Johan Vazquez looked solid in the backline. Even though Alvarez, Vazquez, and goalkeeper Memo Ochoa had a great match, Honduras tried to find the equalizer.
Albert Elis was the best player for ‘La H’ in offense. His speed and verticality put in trouble the Mexican defense in a few plays. Especially when ‘Los Catrachos’ were attacking on the right side, Elis took advantage of a terrible night Jorge Sanchez was having and created chances for his side. Despite his effort, Honduras was not able to score.
The 2-0 was scored by Romo again. He found the back of the net at the 23rd minute to end with the hopes of Honduras to get at least a point out of the match.
@Vos_Castellanos
Orbelin Pineda scored the 3-0 seven minutes into the second half and twelve minutes later, Luis Chavez scored the final 4-0 to give a much-needed win to Mexico squad, which was managed by interim coach Jaime Lozano.
Now, both teams will prepare their next matches. Mexico will face Haiti. This match is important because if there is a winner, that squad will be the first one of this group to qualify for the next round.
On the other side, Honduras will face Qatar. In this match, both teams need a win to keep their hopes of advancing to the next round.
(Editor’s Note: Miguel Garcia’s gallery of photos from this match can be found here.)
