The United States men’s national team and Mexico are once again on a collision course to meet in the Concacaf Gold Cup Final.
The regional rivals are on opposite ends of the knockout round bracket after they won their respective groups.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT went a perfect three-for-three in group play to win Group D and face Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.
To get to the final on July 6 in Houston, the USMNT likely has to get through Canada, who enter the final matchday of Group B in first place.
Canada needs to beat El Salvador on Tuesday night to clinch first place and land on the USMNT’s side of the bracket.
Mexico’s top competition to reach the final is Panama, who lost to El Tri in the 2023 Gold Cup final.
Six of the eight teams are locked into the knockout round bracket. Any of the four Group B sides could advance to the final eight with a victory in Tuesday’s late set of games.
Gold Cup Quarterfinal Schedule
Saturday, June 28
Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia (10:15 p.m. ET)
Sunday, June 29
United States vs. Costa Rica (7 p.m. ET)
Gold Cup Odds
The latest odds for the Gold Cup can be found here on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Predictions
The United States and Mexico should easily get into the semifinals with wins over Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia.
The Americans didn’t look great in their buildup to the Gold Cup, but they turned things around with three group-stage victories.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men scored eight goals and conceded once on their way to the perfect record.
A win over Costa Rica and a semifinal berth is the minimum expectation for the host side in the year before a home World Cup.
Mexico won its first two games and then drew Costa Rica in the group finale in a matchup that allowed both teams to make it to the knockout round.
Mexico has more of a first-team roster at the tournament compared to the USMNT. That experience might allow El Tri to have an easier run throughout the knockout round.
Canada and Panama will be tough foes in the semifinals for both sides, though. Panama made the Gold Cup final in 2023 and Canada has made plenty of improvements under Jesse Marsch to become one of the premier sides in Concacaf.
Canada will win Group B with a victory over El Salvador on Tuesday night. Honduras and Curacao’s head-to-head battle will likely decide second place in Group B.
Canada will likely face Guatemala, who took second in Group C behind Panama. Panama eliminated Jamaica in the biggest surprise of the tournament so far. Jamaica was a semifinalist in 2019 and 2023.
Mexico will be tested by Panama in the semifinals, but at its best, it should advance into the final.
The Americans have the tougher semifinal test on their hands because the group at the Gold Cup is mostly unproven on the international stage.
The group-stage performances proved the Americans can play at a higher level, but that was against weaker opposition in Concacaf.
Final Prediction: Mexico over Canada
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