Jonathan dos Santos's strike seals Gold Cup final win for Mexico over USA- El Tri take home Concacaf title after 1-0 victory in Chicago
- Mexico win their eighth Gold Cup with Sunday’s victory
The US couldn’t make it two titles in one day. Hours after the US women’s team won the World Cup final, the men lost to old rivals Mexico in the deciding match of the Gold Cup. Jonathan Dos Santos scored in the 73rd minute of the final for the Mexicans on Sunday night as El Tri won a record eighth Concacaf title. Despite missing their top three forwards, El Tri dominated possession against an American team playing in their first tournament under new coach Gregg Berhalter. Christian Pulisic, the Americans’ 20-year-old star midfielder, was by far the best US player and his pace and skill created chances for the home team. Jordan Morris beat goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa with a 6-yard header from Pulisic’s corner in the 51st minute, but Andres Guardado headed the ball off the goalline. Cristian Roldan had a chance to tie the score in the 87th minute, but his point-blank shot hit Hector Moreno on the head and bounced away.
While the crowd in France was overwhelmingly pro-American as the US beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the Women’s World Cup final earlier in the day, Mexican fans in green, white and red in the crowd of 62,493 made Solider Field seem like Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Whenever US keeper Zack Steffen took a goal kick, there were loud chants of “puto,” a homophobic slur Mexican fans have repeatedly been admonished for.
Mexico scored from a move started by Dos Santos, who plays in Major League Soccer for the LA Galaxy. He passed the ball to Rodolfo Pizarro, who switched from the left flank to the right in the second half. Pizarro crossed into the area where Raul Jimenez played a back-heel to Dos Santos, who had continued his run. His left-footed shot went past the outstretched arm of Steffen for just his third goal in 46 international appearances.
The US have been rebuilding under Berhalter, the first American to coach the national team after playing in the World Cup for the US. Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup will not start until next summer, leaving the Gold Cup as the first measuring test for a team whose streak of seven straight World Cup appearances ended when they failed to make the field in Russia last year.
Mexico were playing in their first tournament under new coach Tata Martino. They have not lost a competitive match to the US since 2013, reestablishing El Tri as the region’s power.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/07/gold-cup-2019-final-usa-mexico-match-report
