Football fans have recently been toying with the idea of a United States-Mexico Gold Cup final. As far back as the beginning of the tournament, the Chicago Tribune newspaper predicted that the two nations would survive to face off in the final round, and with good reason. After all, the US and Mexico are the only two nations which have advanced to the quarterfinal round in every single Gold Cup since 1991.
However, which team would come out on top in such a matchup is still anyone’s guess. While the US has, in the past, managed to hold off the Mexican side when playing on American soil, neither team is clearly dominant over the other.
Saturday’s US-Panama match may provide a window into the future for those fans who are wondering how such a showdown would go down. Yesterday, the Mexican selection battled past Panama to a 1-0 victory in what proved to be a physical match, with five yellow cards issued during the first half alone.
Should they make it to the final, the Americans’ ability to match this agressive playing style could be what wins or loses the Gold Cup. On paper, the United States seems to be an easy pick for Saturday’s game. However, the US won their three preliminary games by getting on the board early and then cooling their heels while the clock ran out. If the US can manage a win despite the rough tactics of the Panamanians, then they could be in a better position to face down their southern neighbors as well.
By Adam Roy
Written for Ontheminute.com
