BY JAMES ROSS – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
The penultimate moment in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup will occur Wednesday evening in Arlington, Texas, as host nation USA take on underdog Honduras and, in a rematch of their opening game in Group A, Panama once again take on Mexico. The second semi-final promises to be a fiery encounter, as a surging Panama re-engage a somewhat indifferent Mexican side.
Panama were a much fancied side heading into this year’s Gold Cup and they’ve lived up to the hype. Their only real blip was a scoreless draw with Canada, a match in which they made nine changes to their starting eleven. That move could be a key one in the grand scheme of things, as it allowed all of their key players a much needed break and some rest, and in any tournament such as this an extra day off from getting kicked is never a bad thing.
They decimated Cuba 6-1 in their quarterfinal, and that will give them a renewed sense of confidence heading into their rematch with Mexico. The fact that they convincingly bested the Mexicans 2-1 in their opening game will no doubt add to their confidence level. Strikers Blas Perez and Gabriel Torres both hit the net twice in the Cuba game, and the two Torres goals placed him alongside American Wondolowski as the top goal scorers in the tournament, with five apiece. He’ll be hungry to add to that total on Wednesday evening.
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Left winger Alberto Quintero has been one of the best players in the tournament, and he’s a very tricky customer to deal with. He’s quick and can dribble, and has shown an incisive edge in the attacking third. He’ll be a key factor for Panama if they are to advance to the final. If he is on his game, he’ll stretch the Mexican defence and create chances for two strikers who have shown they will finish if they are given the opportunities. My only concern with Panama is, at times, they have looked a bit dodgy on defence and sometimes their passing can be a bit unkempt. Panama will need to smooth out these issues if they are going to advance past the Mexicans.
Mexico are a real coin toss for this match. Based upon performances thus far, one would have to favour Panama. Mexico have delivered one underwhelming display after another this tournament but, in fairness to them, they’ve gotten the results they needed to get to continue on, and any nation with the history of Mexico can never be discarded outright. They have owned CONCACAF for decades, and it’s only been in recent years that the Americans have been able to move alongside Mexico as a co-powerhouse in the region.
Technically their players are strong, as would be expected, but I would have to look at this bunch and wonder if their collective mental resilience is sufficient to overcome this Panama side. They’ve not looked overly inspired, and their ideas in the attacking third have been pedestrian and lacking in the creativity one could usually take for granted from any Mexican side. B team or not, Mexico has much depth from their strong domestic league, and their performances have been disappointing.
One player who has continued to impress has been attacker Marco Fabien. He’s a dynamic player, and more than capable of making something out of nothing. Far from a one-dimensional goal scorer, he’s intelligent and has been the one creative cog in Mexico’s attacking schemata. Young striker Raul Jimenez has nicked a couple of key goals, and he’s certainly looks to have great instincts in the box. The youngster has grown in stature as the tournament has progressed, and he’ll be looking to continue to catch the eye of manager Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre.
Midfielder Luis Montes has also given a decent account of himself, one of the few Mexican players to show a fire and determination that any winning team will need. I think the lack of experience from this bunch, coupled with too many players not really taking their opportunity to step up will turn out to be the downfall of this Mexican side for this tournament. And it may eventually cost de la Torre his job. I’m not sure Mexican fans will accept two losses in a row to Panama.
I’m predicting a 3-2 Panama victory. I think there will most definitely be a few goals scored in this matchup.
And, as always, enjoy the matches. Semifinals have a history of being the most interesting games in most major soccer tournaments. Let’s hope these live up to that mantra.