Mexico vs. Jamaica: Last-Minute Predictions for 2015 Gold Cup Final

Mexico and Jamaica will meet in the final of the 2015 Gold Cup on Sunday, with the Reggae Boyz gunning for their first ever title and El Tri hoping to put the controversy of their semi-final win over Panama behind them with their third CONCACAF championship in the last four editions.

The six-time champions are heavy favourites, via ESPN Stats & Info, but Jamaica have been the best team throughout the tournament and will no doubt like their chances of pulling off the upset. Captain Rodolph Austin made it clear he and his team-mates have only one goal, via the Jamaica Gleaner:

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We're going into the final to win it. t's our final game, we've to go out there and do our best. We want to go home with the trophy, that's our aim and that's what we're looking forward to.

As you can see in every game we play we're very hungry, there's no doubt about that. I believe in my teammates and I believe in the team and each player believes in each player. We just have to go out there and play good football, work hard for each other and execute on our chances and defend as well as we've been doing.

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Here are some last-minute predictions for Sunday's clash.

Mexico Won't Be Receiving Any Gifts

There's no denying El Tri's road to the Gold Cup final has been a controversial one. The 2-1 win over Panama was overshadowed by the performance of official Mark Geiger, who made several dubious decisions that all appeared to favour the Mexican side:

Even the man himself admitted his performance was well below standards and directly influenced the outcome of the match, as reported by the Associated Press (for Fox Sports).

The storyline has dominated the buildup toward Sunday's final, and Goal's Ives Galarcep couldn't help but take a shot at El Tri and the favourable treatment he believes they have received so far:

Whether Geiger's decision to award a last-minute penalty to Mexico for a perceived hand ball was correct isn't relevant at this point. The world will be watching to see what happens in the final, and CONCACAF can't afford another debacle filled with controversy.

Joel Aguilar will be officiating the final, and the pressure will be on his shoulders to perform. He'll look to avoid any suspicion El Tri are given favourable treatment, and, as a result, expect him to be very strict from the opening whistle and rule on the side of caution with his decisions.

Jamaica's Athleticism Will Hurt El Tri

The Reggae Boyz are fast. While it's tempting to write Jamaica have cruised through the tournament, that simply isn't true―they've raced past their opponents so far, exploiting space on the counter attack and defending with plenty of players behind the ball.

Under normal circumstances, that shouldn't be a huge problem for Mexico, who feature plenty of pace themselves and can defend in space with the best of them.

But as shared by ESPN FC's Tom Marshall, health is an issue going into the final, with several key players carrying knocks:

With Andres Guardado and Jonathan dos Santos slowed by injuries, others will have to pick up the slack, and that in turn will lead to tired legs.

The Reggae Boyz have shown the ability to put matches away in the second half by overpowering their opponents, and if they can avoid an early deficit or even score first themselves, their raw athleticism will come into play even more.

Experience Will Beat Enthusiasm

Yes, El Tri have been far from their best at the 2015 Gold Cup, just like they were at the 2015 Copa America. And yes, Jamaica are playing some sensational football right now and fully deserve to be in this final.

But the Reggae Boyz have never played in a Gold Cup final before, and experience is a hugely important factor in matches like this. El Tri haven't really convinced yet, but like all great teams, they have found ways to win the ugly matches, and Bleacher Report's Michael Cummings thinks they'll do so again in the final:

It's hard to disagree with that. At the end of the day, manager Miguel Herrera knows how to prepare his troops for a huge match like this, and he will have noticed the situation in the Jamaican goal looks shaky at best.

Expect a tightly contested match that ultimately goes Mexico's way.

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