Mexico seeks a Gold Cup championship against Panama in redemption tour after disappointing World Cup

game is t going to be against  rival Mexico expected, but seven and a half months after country’s worst performance in a World Cup in 44 years, Mexico will seek to restore a bit of its tarnished im when it plays surprising Panama in Gold Cup final.

With Jaime Loza, ir third coach in less than a year, Mexicans will try to win ir ninth Gold Cup title on Sunday.

Panama beat U.S. to advance to its first final since 2013. country is looking for its first Gold Cup championship.

“Usually, dream final is United States against Mexico, but that is t going to happen and it doesn’t matter to me,” said Loza, who is an interim coach. “For me goal is same, if Panama is in final it is because y did something better than United States.”

Mexico and Panama recently played for third place in CONCACAF Nations League and El Tri won 1-0 in what was last match with Argentine coach Diego Cocca at helm.

Cocca replaced his countryman Gerardo Marti, who was in charge at World Cup in Qatar when Mexico failed to qualify for kckout st for first time since 1978. But in sixth of seven games he mand, Cocca lost 3-0 to Americans in Nations League semifinals and was fired four days later.

That match was cut short in extra time by referee because of disruptive homophobic chants from Mexico’s fans in Las Vegas.

Loza, who led Mexico to bronze medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was appointed for job, but only for Gold Cup.

Ten of players who were with Loza at Olympics were included in Gold Cup roster. Seven of m are regular starters.

“y have bought us our idea, t w but from previous process (Olympics) and I have thing more to say than thank m for ir trust, for way in which game plans are executed,” said Loza. “y decided that y wanted to be best team in tournament and bring Gold Cup back home.”

In route to final, Mexico beat Honduras 4-0, n Haiti 3-1, lost to Qatar 1-0, beat Costa Rica 2-0 and Jamaica 3-0 in semifinal.

Although on paper it looks like a dominant tournament, Mexicans have had long periods during matches in which y have t played well.

That needs to change if Mexicans hope to leave SoFi Stadium with ir fists raised.

“Panama is a team that is clear about what y are playing, y t only attack well but also defend, y have a clear idea of ir game and y have worked for a long time to develop it, y are in final for a reason,” Loza said.

Panamanians were in fifth place in CONCACAF qualifiers for Qatar 2022, one away from play-off spot that Costa Rica earned and eventually won to qualify for World Cup.

“y have bought us our idea, t w but from previous process (Olympics) and I have thing more to say than thank m for ir trust, for way in which game plans are executed,” said Loza. “y decided that y wanted to be best team in tournament and bring Gold Cup back home.”

In route to final, Mexico beat Honduras 4-0, n Haiti 3-1, lost to Qatar 1-0, beat Costa Rica 2-0 and Jamaica 3-0 in semifinal.

Although on paper it looks like a dominant tournament, Mexicans have had long periods during matches in which y have t played well.

That needs to change if Mexicans hope to leave SoFi Stadium with ir fists raised.

“Panama is a team that is clear about what y are playing, y t only attack well but also defend, y have a clear idea of ir game and y have worked for a long time to develop it, y are in final for a reason,” Loza said.

Panamanians were in fifth place in CONCACAF qualifiers for Qatar 2022, one away from play-off spot that Costa Rica earned and eventually won to qualify for World Cup.

Despite that failure, Panamanian Federation re-signed Spaniard coach Thomas Christiansen.

“re has been an important evolution of team, we have progressed, and it was important to have trust of federation because it was a disappointment t to go to World Cup,” said Christiansen. “I don’t like word failure because we did a lot of things right in past, but maybe fruits are going to come w.”

Panama is in its first final since 2013 and just third in its history. or one was in 2005 and in both y lost to U.S.

“ football that Panama has been playing has been very good, we have created scoring chances, we have controlled matches and also we have improved defensively,” Christiansen said. “If we take all those features to final, why t dream a little?”