Gold Cup 2015: Thursday's Day 3 Takeaways
Group C kicked off Thursday night in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup with two matches at Chicago's Soldier Field.
In the early match, Trinidad and Tobago easily handled Guatemala 3-1. In the late game, Mexico routed an overmatched Cuba side 6-0.
Here are the key takeaways from Day 3 at the Gold Cup.
Mexico make easy work of Cuba
Let's face it. Mexico's game against Cuba in the nightcap wasn't ever going to be much of a match. The Cubans entered the tournament ranked 104th in the world. Their task became even more difficult when seven players—including one defector—and the head coach failed to reach the United States in time for the tournament, per Juan Martin Montes of Mediotiempo.com (h/t MLS Soccer). Soccer journalist Seth Vertelney tweeted that a Cuba team assistant confirmed the defection.
It was no surprise, then, that Mexico cantered to a comfortable 6-0 victory. If anything, El Tri should have scored more. Regardless, the result told us little about Miguel Herrera's side.
And how could it? Cuba, in disarray due to their squad problems, offered little resistance from the start. After creating several good chances, Mexico finally took the lead in the 17th minute and went from there. Oribe Peralta scored a hat-trick, while Carlos Vela, Andres Guardado and Giovani Dos Santos all added one goal each.
El Tri fans will be pleased that Peralta and Vela coexisted well together during their time on the pitch. Dos Santos, a second-half substitute, also performed well after coming on for his brother Jonathan, who was sharp as well. Guardado, Hector Herrera, Miguel Layun and Paul Aguilar were further bright spots for Mexico, but considering the opposition, it would be unwise to heap too much praise on any of the players.
One thing we certainly did not learn was how well Mexico's new four-man back line will fare at this tournament. Herrera prefers a five-man defense but made the switch following an injury to Hector Moreno. Obviously, the four-man defense didn't concede a goal, but El Tri will face much better teams in this tournament, and the altered defensive setup will remain something to watch.
For now, it's enough to recognize that Mexico did the job against an inferior opponent. Now El Tri will move on to bigger challenges.
Soca Warriors stake early claim to knockout berth
In the day's early game, Trinidad and Tobago raced into a three-goal lead in the first 25 minutes and held on for a 3-1 victory over Guatemala.
The Caribbean side looked bigger, stronger and faster from the first whistle and scored twice in the first 14 minutes, through Sheldon Bateau and Cordell Cato. Joevin Jones added the third in the 25th minute, tucking in the rebound after Guatemala goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez had made a save.
Trinidad were impressive, but Guatemala were also guilty of poor defending, especially for Cato's goal, which was set up by a giveaway. In addition, Guatemala left Bateau unmarked for the opener, which he converted on the volley from a corner.
The Central Americans improved after half-time and pulled a goal back through a typically fine finish by veteran forward Carlos Ruiz. But by then the damage was done, and Guatemala had already paid for their poor start to the match.
With regional power Mexico widely favored to win the group, both Guatemala and Trinidad must have entered Thursday's match knowing that three points were vital in the race for second place. Thanks to a breathtaking first-half performance, Trinidad appear set to qualify and might even fancy themselves a dark horse for the knockout stages.
Up next, the Soca Warriors will be confident of claiming another win against Cuba on Sunday. Guatemala, meanwhile, will face Mexico.
Follow @MiguelCominguez
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