Mexico vs. Panama: Viewing Info and Preview for Gold Cup Group A Match

The CONCACAF Gold Cup gets underway on Sunday with play in Group A. Two-time defending tournament champion Mexico headlines the group, but starts its journey with a tough matchup against a Panama squad heavy on veterans.

Past editions of the Gold Cup in the year preceding a World Cup had no long-term value. That's no longer the case. A new rule was put in place so the Gold Cup winners in 2013 and 2015 play for a Confederations Cup berth, making this year's event more important.

Knowing that, here's a look at all the important viewing information for the clash between Mexico and Panama. It's followed by a match preview and prediction.

Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

When: Sunday, July 7 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Soccer Channel and Univision

Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go

Preview

Mexico captured the Gold Cup in both 2009 and 2011. Both finals were against the United States, with El Tri winning by a combined score of 9-2. In order to keep that streak alive, some unheralded young players must rise to the occasion.

They are forced to enter the tournament with an untested bunch because most of the team's stars just finished a very busy stretch featuring World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup. So the Gold Cup squad has just two players with more than 10 matches of senior international experience.

That's not to say Mexico doesn't have a squad talented enough to make a deep run. In fact, El Tri are still one of the top contenders heading into the event, illustrating their depth. There are just more questions than previous years, when they were either a clear favorite or right on par with the United States.

One player capable of alleviating some of those concerns is Marco Fabian. The talented 23-year-old midfielder was a key piece for the country's under-23 side, which captured a gold medal at the London Olympics last summer.

Finding players that can work with him to create a dangerous attack, something even Mexico's first team has struggled with recently, will be the key. Fellow rising stars Raul Jimenez and Jorge Enriquez are among those who will likely be asked to step up, starting against Panama.

For the Canaleros, the opening match should serve as a good measuring stick. They sport the far more experienced squad, led by veteran striker Blas Perez, who's appeared in more than 70 matches and tallied 29 international goals.

Whereas Mexico has nearly an entire roster filled with players having less than 10 matches of experience, Panama only has a handful in that category. So the match will come down to Mexico's talent against Panama's veteran savvy.

The key matchup will probably feature Fabian against Canaleros center back Roman Torres. The 27-year-old defender must keep his back line on the same page to ensure the Mexican midfielder doesn't take over the match.

Ultimately, this should be a hard-fought clash with both teams creating their fair share of chances. The edge goes to Mexico given its upside, but only slightly.

Prediction: Mexico 2, Panama 1