Mexico vs Honduras
Stadium: NRG (Houston)
26.06.2023 03:00
Mexico lost to the Americans in the 2021 Gold Cup final, failing to defend the title they won two years earlier. The Mexicans will start their road to revenge with a match against Honduras, the last three meetings with which ended in victories for Mexico. Will the series continue?
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After the 2022 World Cup, where the Mexicans failed to make the group against Poland, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia despite picking up four points, there was a change in the team's head coach. Diego Cocca replaced Argentina's, Gerardo Martino. Under his guidance, Mexico played only seven matches, losing only one, but it was a deadly game for the new coach. In the semi-final match of the Nations League play-offs, Mexico lost by all accounts to the USA - 0:3. But in the third-place tie against Panama (1:0), Cocca failed to retain his place.
At the Gold Cup, the Mexican national team was led by Jaime Lozano, the former coach of the country's youth team, with which he won bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Perhaps the Mexican's appointment will have a positive impact on the team. The Mexican national team still holds the record for most Gold Cup titles, and they would certainly like to retain that status after 2023.
Honduras
Honduras is one of the most famous CONCACAF teams. The team has been to three World Cups, two of them in a row - 2010 in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil. And Honduras has not missed the Gold Cup since 2003, having made it to the semi-finals four times. Meanwhile, the team's best result was the 1981 domestic title.
The national team of Honduras is not having its best period at the moment. The team finished last in the qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup with only four points from 14 games. But Honduras stayed in Division A of the Nations League, ahead of Curacao but lost the top three-team group to Canada. In their last match, Honduras lost 0:1 to Venezuela in a friendly.
Expert Betting Tips
Honduras also approached the 2023 Gold Cup with a new coach - following a failure to qualify for the World Cup, Colombian Hernan Dario Gomez was replaced by Argentine Diego Vazquez. Under him, Honduras has managed ten matches in which they have alternated between victories and setbacks, with results and draws. The new coach, who has no national team experience, is still in search.
Mexico has not played a match under the new coach. Still, Jaime Lozano has already shown excellent form, with the youngsters playing fantastic attacking football at the Tokyo Olympics and scoring a deserved bronze medal. Expect Mexico to play attacking and productively and win the prestigious Cup in the first round—especially Honduras, who aren't the most dangerous opponents.