Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
On the night of July 6th to 7th, the final showdown of the CONCACAF Gold Cup will take place, featuring the national teams of the USA and Mexico. The match will be held in Houston. I'm backing a bet on goals in this encounter.
Interesting facts and head-to-head history
- Mexico holds the record for most CONCACAF Gold Cup titles with 9 trophies.
- The USA has been crowned the top team in North America seven times.
- The US national team has won every match so far in this edition of the Gold Cup.
- This will be the eighth Gold Cup final contested between these two powerhouses.
- In total, this will be the 79th meeting between Mexico and the USA. Mexico leads the head-to-head with 37 wins to 25.
Match preview
As usual, the USA is hosting the Gold Cup. Mauricio Pochettino was unable to assemble his optimal squad for this tournament, as several key players are competing at the Club World Cup, while Christian Pulisic was given a break after an exhausting season. Despite these hurdles, the Stars and Stripes are just one step away from clinching their first trophy under Pochettino's leadership.
In the semifinals, the US team expectedly edged out the sensational Guatemala 2-1, with both goals coming early in the match. Prior to that, the US narrowly defeated Costa Rica on penalties, and in the group stage, they won all their games against Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, and Saudi Arabia.
Mexico, led once again by the legendary Javier Aguirre, arrived at the Gold Cup as one of the heavy favorites. “El Tri” are the reigning champions, having beaten Panama in the 2023 final (1-0).
Mexico's path to the final has been impressive. In the group stage, they overcame Suriname and the Dominican Republic, and drew 0-0 with Costa Rica. In the knockout stage, Mexico first dispatched Saudi Arabia (2-0), then defeated Honduras in the semifinals (1-0).
Probable line-ups
- USA: Fries; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Arfsten; Adams, De la Torre; Berhalter, Tillman, Luna; Agyemang
- Mexico: Malagón; Araujo, Montes, Vázquez, Gallardo; Rodriguez, Ed. Álvarez, L. Chávez; Alvarado, Jiménez, Vega
USA vs Mexico prediction
It’s unlikely that either team will take significant risks, but both sides’ attacks have the edge over their defenses. My bet: both teams will find the net in this final.
