What: 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final
Who: United States vs Mexico
When: Saturday 25th June, at 21:00 EST (02:00 UK Time, 26th June)
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States
Slow Growth
The United States enter the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup final against arch-rivals Mexico in better form than two weeks ago when they were shocked by a 2-1 defeat from Panama in the group stage of the competition. That result led to some soul-searching for Bob Bradley’s men, who responded by reeling off three straight victories, including a revenge victory of sorts with a 1-0 win over Panama in the semi-final. Criticised heavily after the Panama loss, the Americans have rebounded and while their performances are still not considered their best, the US have had little trouble turning over the likes of Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Panama since.
The biggest question that US supporters have is whether the team can finally put together a complete 90-minute performance when it matters, something they have failed to do in this tournament. In their semi-final, the team seemed more composed than ever in defeating a tricky and improved Panama side. Still, Bradley’s men had to wait until deep into the second half to score the winner. Fulham’s Clint Dempsey provided the all-important goal after a fantastic ball into the six-yard box by Landon Donovan, who himself received a superb long pass from forgotten-man Freddy Adu, who impressed with a second-half cameo.
While the team have had trouble scoring goals of late, defensively the hosts have been solid, having gone over 300 minutes without conceding a goal. Against Mexico, the United States will have to continue their recent improvement, but as Dempsey himself has pointed out, this is a team that knows how to win, “I think we showed our quality in being able to grind out a result [against Panama] even if it wasn’t our best game and now we find ourselves in the final.”
Unfinished Business
Mexico too have expected to be in the 2011 Gold Cup final, almost on reputation alone. However, as is the case for the United States, being in the showpiece event is only half the battle and against their biggest foes the Central Americans will want nothing more than to lift the trophy at the Rose Bowl. Mexico’s journey through the tournament has, unlike their opponents however, been impressive, with El Tricolor winning all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents by 18 goals to two in the process.
The little and large striking duo of Aldo de Nigris and Javier Hernandez have been running rampant during the second half of matches when head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre has been inserting the former into the mix. The pair have combined to score Mexico’s last three goals and have developed a fine understanding, also creating numerous opportunities.
In El Tricolor’s semi-final battle with Honduras, the Mexicans were not at their fluid best, but still managed several clear-cut scoring opportunities. Hernandez and co. had to wait until extra-time however to seal the match as De Nigris and then Hernandez himself scored from corner-kicks to give the team a 2-0 win. The Mexican side will be hoping for a similar result to the 2009 Gold Cup final when they handed the United States a 5-0 drubbing. Both sides were under-strength in that tournament though, something that will not be the case here.
Mexico will be hoping to put severe pressure on the Americans’ backline and add to their impressive goal tally in the tournament. Defensively El Tricolor have been solid and should fancy their chances against a United States attack that has so far failed to ignite. De Nigris however was quick to point out how strong the United States are, while pointing to his own personal motivation too: “We know what the US represents. We know that it will be a tough rival, but we have to worry about ourselves, and for me personally, it provides extra motivation because I’ve never played one of these finals."
Recent form
United States:
Guadeloupe 0-1 United States (14/06; Group C, Gold Cup)
United States 2-0 Jamaica (19/06, Quarter-final, Gold Cup)
Panama 0-1 United States (22/06; Semi-final, Gold Cup)
Mexico:
Mexico 4-1 Costa Rica (12/06; Group A, Gold Cup)
Guatemala 1-2 Mexico (18/06; Quarter-final, Gold Cup)
Honduras 0-2 (AET) Mexico (22/06; Semi-final, Gold Cup)
Key absences
United States: Jozy Altidore
Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa; Francisco Rodriguez; Edgar Duenas; Christian Bermudez; Sinha
Players to Watch
United States – Landon Donovan: Having been placed on the bench by Bob Bradley in the last two matches, Donovan has responded in superb fashion when coming on as a second half substitute. The Los Angeles Galaxy star has changed the course of the last two games with his play giving the United States the spark the side needed to defeat both Jamaica and Panama in the knock-out stage. Though Bradley was criticised for leaving Donovan out, the side have reaped the rewards of a fresh-looking player coming off the bench and adding that extra bit of class needed to decide matches.
Donovan has been Mexico’s nightmare many times over the years with his all-action repertoire of passing and movement and if the forward hits his stride against Mexico then it could spell trouble for El Tricolor.
Mexico – Javier Hernandez: "Chicharito" leads the Gold Cup scoring charts with seven goals after adding another important strike to his tally against Honduras in extra-time of the semi-final. The Manchester United striker has had a breakthrough year for club and country and the loudest cheers for Mexican matches at the Gold Cup have been reserved for the prolific forward. Surely his play will cause the United States headaches and Bradley will need to find a way to combat his constant movement.
Along with De Nigris, Giovanni Dos Santos, and Pablo Barrera, Hernandez leads a potent attack that when in form is extremely difficult to stop. The finishing instincts and combination play of Hernandez are crucial to Mexico.
Match Prediction
It is the final that was expected. Both sides have been through some turmoil in this tournament, with the United States shocked with their first-ever group stage loss in the competition and Mexico having five players sent home due to allegations of using a controlled substance (the Mexican team have claimed that the players ate contaminated beef). That said, overall these have been the two most consistent teams in the tournament and for years have clearly been the top two sides in the CONCACAF region.
The final should pit the solid, pragmatic Americans, who seem to have brushed off the surprise defeat to Panama, against the fluid and attack-minded Mexicans, a side that have been favourites since their opening game. This should be an enthralling match between two bitter rivals and should be a hard-fought, close tie with no shortage of physical play. In the end the team that hold their nerve best in the crucial moments will come out on top with the slight edge going to the Mexico thanks to the firepower they possess. United States 1-2 Mexico.
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