Gold Cup Final 2015: Jamaica vs. Mexico Date, Schedule After Semi-Final Results
With a controversial day of semifinal action in the books, two countries have been left standing with a shot at the 2015 Gold Cup title.
Following Jamaica's 2-1 win over the United States and Mexico's controversial 2-1 victory over Panama in Atlanta, the stage has been set for the Reggae Boyz to try to claim their first-ever Gold Cup championship against a more seasoned El Tri side Sunday evening at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jamaica's defeat of the U.S. signaled its first qualification for the Gold Cup final in tournament history, whereas Mexico is heading to the title game for the eighth time. According to ESPN Stats & Info's Paul Carr, those eight appearances are the second-most all-time behind the United States, which owns nine.
| Jamaica vs. Mexico | July 26 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Philadelphia, PA | Fox Sports 1 |
However, just because Jamaica's new to the spotlight doesn't mean it won't stand a chance when play gets underway.
"Jamaica has been the best, most consistent team in this tournament, and based on on-field exploits alone, the Reggae Boyz are in prime position to write another verse in CONCACAF's ever-changing book," Sports Illustrated's Avi Creditor wrote.
That said, Mexico is still a heavy favorite to take home the crown, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
Before the action gets going from Philadelphia, here are a few statistical and historical trends to keep in mind.
Storylines to Watch
Jamaica's Pursuit of History Buoyed By Defense
With Wednesday's win over the United States, Jamaica became the first Caribbean team to advance to the Gold Cup final, according to Sports Illustrated's Brian Straus.
With that bit of history already made, Winfried Schafer's side can look to etch its name into the record books yet again and become the first Caribbean squad to capture a Gold Cup championship.
And given how stingy Jamaica's defense has been of late, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Reggae Boyz stand tall Sunday in the City of Brotherly Love.
According to Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, Michael Bradley's second-half tally in Wednesday's semifinal was the first goal Jamaica had surrendered since the opening game of Gold Cup play.
As ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle observed following Wednesday's match, the Jamaicans didn't try to complicate things. Instead, they "defend in numbers and try to nick goals on the counterattack and through set pieces."
With such a strong back line, it's no wonder Jamaica is 8-1-1 over its last 10 Gold Cup appearances.
But that's not all, according to the Gold Cup on Twitter:
"I want to lift the Gold Cup with Jamaica," Jamaica's Giles Barnes said, per Wahl. "That’s a big thing for me and our team, and it’s how we feel as a unit right now. And we want to qualify for the World Cup. People are seeing us now doing well, and they’re like, 'Is it luck?' We don’t think it’s luck. We want to show on the world stage what we’re capable of."
A few weeks ago, a title shot for the Reggae Boyz would have sounded improbable. Now it's well within the realm of possibility thanks to one of the tournament's most disciplined defenses.
Will Mexico's Attack Show Up?
Mexico needed two conversions from the penalty spot to get past Panama, and as Carr noted, El Tri hasn't been scoring in a particularly prolific manner of late:
"Twice in the knockout stage it's been bailed out by refereeing decisions, and anything short of a triumph on Sunday will put [Miguel] Herrera right back in the Mexican federation's crosshairs," Creditor wrote.
The absence of striker Javier Hernandez has loomed large all tournament long, so plenty of attention will be directed toward Mexico's ability to provide pressure in the final third.
Keep a close eye on the health of Giovani Dos Santos (hip), who was available but did not play in the semifinal showdown against Panama.
No Repeat Champion
The U.S. had advanced to the previous five Gold Cup finals—winning three of them. But thanks to Jamaica, that streak has been snapped.
As a result, the door has been opened for one side to knock the United States from its perch atop the CONCACAF throne.
Following Jamaica's upset win, striker Joel McAnuff discussed his team's underdog status and looked ahead to the final, via the Gold Cup on Twitter:
The Group B winners may not be able to shed that label despite Wednesday's steady effort against the Americans, but their star is undeniably on the rise.
Meanwhile, Mexico will be seeking to capture its third Gold Cup title since 2009. El Tri knocked off the United States in 2009 and 2011 before nabbing third-place honors during the 2013 tournament.
The winner of Sunday's final will square off against the United States (by virtue of its 2013 Gold Cup win) later this year to determine which country will represent CONCACAF in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
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