Given the context entering the game, it appeared Mexico would start their 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup quest with a blowout win over a shorthanded Cuba squad.
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Of course, while Cuba was likely overmatched in any case for this game, it was practically a skeleton crew due to six players and their head coach absent due to visa issues. But like another challenger, Costa Rica, the untimely injury bug has left fans with some serious quandaries about the squad. Young gun Kervens Belfort (who plays for Ethnikos Achna in Cyprus) has the most worldwide goals of anyone on the team, while defender Jean-Jacques Pierre (Angers, France) has the most experience. Against the outclassed islanders, Mexico scored almost at will and erased numerous frustrations from a recent seven-match winless run.
The scoring was opened in the 17th minute by Club America’s Peralta with a tap in, Vela added a second five minutes later after a poor clearance, Peralta smashed in his second in the 37th minute, and on the stroke of half-time Guardado scored the fourth. But from that point, the rout was on.
Mexico are strengthened by the return several European-based players, notably forwards Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Giovani dos Santos, for the tournament though. The Canaleros became the first and only team to date to defeat the Americans in a group stage match, grabbing a 2-0 lead on an own-goal by Clarence Goodson (19′) and Gabriel Gomez’s converted penalty kick (36′). He was lively up front, pinged the post and in general, looked completely comfortable in the service of Mexico. Three days later, El Tri will trek back across the United States to play Trinidad in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a match that could determine who wins Group C.
“He’s been ruled out”, stated Mexico’s national team director Hector Gonzalez Inarritu.
Andres Guardado and Giovani Dos Santos got into the scoring act as well. Today’s opening game for these teams has a start time of 9.30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the Fox Sports 1 network, or online through free live stream via the link below. This time it was Jose Juan Vazquez, who sustained muscle discomfort during team warm-ups and was a late scratch from the match. There is still some doubt as to if the tournament is going to take place, but if it does go through then the qualifying mechanism expects to be unchanged. Herrera also took part in the fun as well.
Now they will try to get back on track with a big result against a sleeping giant in Mexico and they should make the most of this chance as one of the tournament favorites struggles.
Still, these are relative quibbles.
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Miguel Herrera’s side had not won since May but Oribe Peralta struck a hat-trick as they destroyed an undermanned Cuba in their tournament opener in Chicago on Thursday.
