Early on in the Gold Cup things seemed to be moving in the right direction Mexico as they had victories against Haiti and Honduras, but then ran into El Tri Qatar, known problems reared their heads. Despite losing to the 2022 World Cup hosts, Mexico still managed to top Group B, but with pressure on interim manager Jamie Lozano to win the whole tournament as the attack failed to finish their chances against the first opponent they faced. being defensive is a pre-encounter concern Costa Rica.
Here are our storylines, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and opportunities
- Date: Saturday 8 July| Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Place: AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
- TV: FS1 | Live stream: fubo TV (Try for free)
- Chances: Mexico-370; Draw +390; Costa Rica +1100 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Mexico: Dominant on the ball, Mexico have won the possession battle in all their games so far at the Gold Cup, but they haven’t been able to do enough with their chances of losing games out of sight. Still unsure of an attacking trio, Lozano has continued to mix and match, but it’s difficult for him to choose a regular line-up when none of his available forwards want to take the job and run it. The midfield of Luis Chavez and Luis Romano has been strong in controlling and winning back possession, but transitions from defense to attack continue to falter in the final third.
Costa Rica: We may be entering a new era of Costa Rican football, but some things don’t change, like Joel Campbell involved in the attack. Heading into the knockout stages of the tournament after a wild 6-4 victory over Martinique, this isn’t the Costa Rica of yesteryear that is defensively sound and leans back to counter. Campbell has recorded one goal and three assists throughout the tournament and will be relied upon again in a match against a known foe.
Prediction
Mexico will continue to struggle, but as Costa Rica’s defense leaves opportunities late in the game, there will eventually be enough volume for El Tri to take the win. Choose: Mexico 2, Costa Rica 1