Mexico’s Top 5 2019 Gold Cup memories
The 2019 edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup marked the 8th occasion that Mexico won the competition. There were some doubts if Mexico’s B squad was capable of winning the competition without their star players. These absences were not felt like many of the young players that were called stepped up to the plate and delivered key performances.
Today, we’ll take a look at Mexico’s top 5 memories from the 2019 Gold Cup that will live in the hearts and minds of El Tri fans in the coming years.
5. Raul Jimenez – Man of the Tournament
Fresh off a fantastic first season in the English Premier League, Raul Jimenez was expected to fill the starting forward’s slot due to the absence of Chicharito. More pressure was put on the striker when Tata Martino declared that he was the most important forward in Mexican soccer. Jimenez did everything expected of him on the field. He provided leadership and critical goals. Jimenez got rewarded for his hard work being awarded the Golden Ball Award for best player in the tournament in addition to being named to the Team of the Tournament.
4. Antuna’s coming out party
The LA Galaxy forward was in line to be cut from the 23 man roster required by Concacaf before the tournament began but, due to some injuries in the tune-up games, Antuna was kept on the squad. This proved to be immensely beneficial for Antuna as he provided a hat-trick and an assist in Mexico’s opening match against Cuba and he went to score another goal against Martinique. Antuna would end up starting during the deciding match against the USA providing width and pace to keep the USA backline on their toes. Ariel Antuna will need to keep his current form for his club in order to receive more call ups to the national team. The Gold Cup experience should give Antuna the necessary push towards improving, especially being surrounded by talented teammates such as Jonathan Dos Santos and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
3. Guardado versus Canada
As one of the more seasoned players in this 2019 Squad, “El Principito” was tasked in leading this squad to the title. Guardado was playing with some injuries throughout the tournament, but arguably his most critical moment was during the group stage game against Canada. In this game, he was brought in for Erick Gutierrez who suffered an injury in the first half and changed the dynamics of the game. Guardado provided one of the best goals of the tournament with a long-range strike in the second half, and he sealed the game after a great run-and-pass from Antuna and putting the ball in the back of the net to seal it. During the final, Guardado, who captained the team, kept everyone composed and handled the midfield amicably to lead Mexico to a victory. It will be interesting to see how much longer the Mexico stalwart will continue to perform at this level for club and country.
2. Memo Ochoa versus Costa Rica
Guillermo Ochoa’s spell at Standard Liège looks to be ending, and the Gold Cup provided a platform for teams looking for his services. Ochoa handled each game with composure and stepped up when Mexico needed him. His latest run with the National Team hit a high note in the quarterfinal game against Costa Rica. A match which happened earlier than expected in the competition due to Haiti winning Group B. Costa Rica provided Mexico with its first real challenge, a dubious penalty call by the referee allowed Costa Rica to level the score and eventually enable the game to head into penalties. Ochoa came to Mexico’s rescue during this moment. After Raul Jimenez’ miss, Ochoa proceeded to stop two of Costa Rica’s penalty kicks, and reminiscent of the 2009 shootout in the same competition, Ochoa sent Mexico to the next round. Memo Ochoa has proved that he is a competent keeper and hopefully a European team signs him on to their team soon.
Jona dos Santos goal vs the USA
Jonathan Dos Santos only got to play 35 minutes during his only World Cup appearance in 2018 against Brazil. Hungry for more Dos Santos stated in an interview that he would like to have more of role in the national team. The 2019 Gold Cup was the perfect time for him to cement his place in the starting eleven by consistently providing great performances in the middle of the field and gaining Tata Martino’s trust by starting all of Mexico’s knockout stage games. No other moment stands out more for Dos Santos more than his strike against the USA team in the Gold Cup Final. A chance created by Rodolfo Pizarro and assisted by Raul Jimenez, Dos Santos was able to loft a strike over the Zack Steffen and put Mexico in front. The elation after the goal capped a wonderful night for the Mexican midfielder, it gave us another Dos Santos brother ending the USA’s chance for a Gold Cup title and provided the Mexican fans with a memory for years to come.
