Mexico defeats Panama 1-0 to win the 9th Gold Cup with a dramatic late goal from Santiago Gimenez

Sunday’s 1-0 victory against Panama gave Mexico a record-extending eighth CONCACAF Gold Cup victory. Santiago Gimenez scored the game-winning goal minutes after entering the contest.

The regional championship game for North and Central America and the Caribbean final featured a rough, fast-paced contest between a Mexico squad looking to bounce back from previous defeats and a Panama team looking for their first Gold Cup victory in the event’s third edition.

Henry Martin began the game on the bench, and Gimenez came on in the 85th minute with the score tied.

The 22-year-old Feyenoord striker instantly rose to fame three minutes later.

Orbelin Pineda of Mexico recovered possession of the ball after Ivan Anderson’s cross into the Mexico penalty area was stopped and transferred it to Gimenez at midfield.

Gimenez sprinted into the penalty box, evading one defender and outmuscling another before beating Panamanian goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera with a left-footed effort.

It is beyond words, Gimenez stated. “The way the team worked together to advance is outstanding. It was evident from the title; I’m not expressing it in words.

At SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and one of the stadiums chosen for the 2026 World Cup to be held by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a crowd of over 73,000 fans, the majority of whom were pro-Mexico, went into a frenzy of joy. This was his fourth goal in 18 international appearances.

To its eight previous victories in 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2019, Mexico gained a ninth Gold Cup victory.

Despite holding seven championships, the United States was shockingly defeated by Panama in a shootout in the semifinals.

“We knew that we were playing to go down in the history of national soccer, and opportunities must be seized,” said Jaime Lozano, who took over as interim coach for Mexico after Diego Cocca was fired last month. Lozano had led Mexico to Olympic Bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Following a dismal Nations League campaign and Mexico’s inability to move beyond the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar, Cocca was let go.

“We have stated that from the beginning. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who helped Mexico win its fifth Gold Cup championship, said of Lozano: “Jaime knows very well what it means to represent Mexico, he understands the player extremely well, and he pulls the most out of each player and that is reflected on the field.

When asked whether he believed he had merited the permanent position with a North American World, Lozano declined to be interviewed.

He answered, “This choice is not up to me. “I committed to a Gold Cup deal. Mexicans don’t often have much faith in the process, but even if we had lost the championship game tonight, I feel there are many other factors to consider in addition to the outcome.

“If we have faith in the process, the outcomes will be much better.”

After goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa initiated an assault with a long clearance, Martin skipped onto a cross from Luis Romo and sent a left-footed drive from the middle of the box into Mosquera’s goal, giving Mexico the impression that they had taken the lead.

Before a VAR review determined Martin was offside, many minutes elapsed.

Ten minutes later, Mosquera kept the score tied by making two quick stops, one from Martin and one from Pineda.

– The last drop of blood

Anibal Godoy’s attempt in the last seconds of the first half for Panama just missed the left post.

In the 63rd minute, Harold Cummings was given a second yellow card for tripping Pineda, but referee Said Martinez promptly overturned the decision, saving Panama from a detrimental reduction to 10 men.

A header from Jose Fajardo, which Ochoa held, came from Panama after Antuna had tried Mosquera with one in the 66th minute.

Edgar Barcenas of Panama came close in the 87th minute with a long shot, but Thomas Christiansen’s Canalmen were unable to respond to Gimenez’s score.

Christiansen remarked, “We gave all we had in today’s game, until the last drop of blood. “The group collapsed on its feet.

It was difficult to play in front of 70,000 Mexicans in Los Angeles, but the players always gave it their best.