There were two games in the Gold Cup last night. The first one was a thoroughly unmemorable U.S.-Honduras clash that the U.S. won 2-0 after scoring goals in the 45′ and 90′; the game was poorly refereed (again) and featured both country’s “B” or “C” teams. The pacing was dull, and Honduras looked tired and not really up for the match, with the U.S. willing to match them pound-for-pound on motivation.
The other game – Mexico vs. Costa Rica – was nothing like the first game.
I don’t know anyone’s name (I’m not familiar with either team, and the broadcast was entirely in Spanish), so I can’t speak to the efforts of players I didn’t already know. The only two guys I could pick out, in fact, were the two in the picture about: Carlos Vela of Arsenal and Guillermo Ochoa of Club América. With Arsenal already in preseason training and Club América in a high-profile tour of the U.S., it was refreshing to see two guys forsake club for the penultimate competition in the region; this tournament is our Euros, and yet virtually nobody’s fielding a full-strength squad.
The other team that sent a full-strength side was Costa Rica, and you could tell from the way the game played out that both teams were intent on advancing. While Costa Rica ultimately lost on penalty kicks, they also managed to send the match to extra time with virtually the last play of the game and managed to save a PK earlier in the match. This game was so exciting that I even decided to Twitter it from my phone.
Open, back and forth matches played with the energy and spirit are what the Gold Cup deserves. The full-strength U.S. team might still beat El Tri in the Azteca in two weeks; on Sunday, though, I’d have to think that Mexico’s the favorite to win it all.
