Mexico closes out group stage vs tiny Martinique
Mexico plays Martinique in its final Gold Cup group stage test before the knockout rounds begin.
El Tri has put on some good shows and has demonstrated a powerful game, confirming their status as favorite to win the Gold Cup. Despite facing adversity in the form of absences and injuries, Gerardo Martino’s Mexico squad deserves credit for earning two easy wins so far.
Mexico opened with a 7-0 rout of Cuba but they were supposed to win easily, and critics were quick to point that out. But a comfortable 3-1 victory over Canada spoke volumes about “Tata” Martino’s team, demonstrating that their domination of Cuba was not a fluke. After all, Canada was supposed to be the big test of Group A.
We witnessed brilliant performances by forwards Raul Jimenez, Uriel Antuna and Roberto Alvarado, while Andres Guardado and Jonathan Dos Santos took star turns in midfield. We’ll see Sunday if “Tata” will make any famous “rotations” (although he does not like using that word when it comes to resting players).
Ideally it might be wise to move some puzzle pieces around to mix and match a few players that might be needed later on. Cesar Montes could be paired with Carlos Salcedo in central defense, while Fernando Navarro is worth a look at right back. Goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco could see the field; he displayed superb skills in El Tri’s friendly against Venezuela and he looked very good with the ball at his feet. His distribution and positioning helped Mexico transition more rapidly into offense.
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Martinique has done some good work in the Gold Cup so far, coming off a 3-0 win over Cuba. Martinique is still mathematically alive with 3 points, but Canada (also 3 points) plays Cuba so that means Martinique would have to pull off a major upset and defeat Mexico (6 points and a +9 goal differential) if it hopes to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.
Prediction
With 10 goals already, one can only wonder how many Mexico might score against Martinique. El Tri has scored at least 3 goals in each of the 6 games since “Tata” took over the helm. I doubt Mexico will take their foot off the pedal and we’ll have to see if Martinique actually opens up playing for a win or parks the bus to avoid a rout. The match-up could be more intense than expected, but Mexico’s experienced roster should be the deciding factor.