PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Mexico is the favorite to win its record-extending seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title, and coach Miguel Herrera is answering questions about his future with the team.
Jamaica is not only making its first appearance in a Gold Cup final but the first for any Caribbean nation, and its coach, Winfried Schaefer, is having to insist that his squad really is the underdog after it stunned the United States in the semifinals.
That’s how different the two countries’ runs were to Sunday’s match at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. Herrera spoke Saturday a few hours after CONCACAF acknowledged the referee had made errors in Mexico’s semifinal win over Panama, a game El Tri was about to lose before a disputed hand ball led to a tying penalty kick in second-half stoppage time.
“We played a good game against Costa Rica and the next game we did badly,” Herrera said. “But we qualified to the final game. I talked a lot with the boys, and we all realized that we play badly. We have to correct our mistakes.”
Indeed, Mexico did outplay Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, though that game was moments from going to penalty kicks until El Tri benefited from another questionable call in the last minute of extra time.