Mexico vs. Jamaica: Gold Cup semifinal preview

Mexico take on a surging Jamaica side in the Gold Cup semifinals Sunday in a rematch of the 2015 final and their Group C encounter just a few weeks ago.

For all the talk of upsets on the eve of the tournament, this Gold Cup has been mostly devoid of them as the competition heads into the weekend’s semifinals. While Costa Rica could very well defeat the United States on Saturday, it appears that Jamaica could be the one poised to stun Mexico the following day at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Although Mexico have not played to their fullest potential during this Gold Cup, that scenario appears unlikely to transpire. It’s true that the Reggae Boyz played exceptionally well Thursday during their 2-1 victory against Canada at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. But Mexico, like the USA, appear to have what it takes to scrape by and earn wins while not letting their mistakes undermine them.

What El Tri have been able to muster at this tournament has made Mexican fans incredulous, even though coach Juan Carlos Osorio is not on the sidelines (he’s serving a six-game ban for his antics at the Confederations Cup) and the team is largely made up of young domestic-based players after its regulars finished fourth at the recent Confederations Cup.

The Mexicans put in their best performance of the tournament to date, although still not at the level you would expect from a team of Liga MX players. While the first half was dominated by tackles and choppy plays, the second 45 minutes was highlighted by crisp passing and a flowing game. Although Mexico took the lead after just four minutes, it gave Honduras too much time and space to create chances. Honduras, however, were never able to capitalize and ended the Gold Cup with the dubious distinction of not scoring a single goal.

Mexico and Jamaica already met earlier in the tournament when both Group C teams played to a scoreless draw. With the stakes higher this time around, Mexico will need to create many more scoring chances than they did this past Thursday. They also need their attack to go into overdrive, a similar issue facing the USMNT, otherwise they risk going down early to a Jamaica team that isn’t afraid to use the wings to generate an attack.

Soccer America reported that Osorio was not able to bring in reinforcements for the quarterfinals after Liga MX owners, who dominate the Mexican federation, put up a fuss. Osorio is said to have met with seven players he took to the Confederations Cup and told them he might bring them in for the quarterfinals, but that never happened.

Mexico’s coaching staff have tried to put a positive spin on the situation, saying the team is unified and familiar with one another after nearly a month of playing together.

“We already know Jamaica and know our players a lot better,” said Mexico’s assistant coach Pompilio Paez, who is leading the team in Osorio’s absence. “We respect the opponent, but we think we have the sufficient arms to defeat Jamaica and be in the final.”

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At the same time, Jamaica have gotten progressively better with each match. Portland Timbers star Darren Mattocks outdid himself versus Canada, assisting on both goals to put Jamaica ahead, 2-0. A repeat performance would give the Caribbean nation a fighting chance against Mexico, a team that will have overwhelming fan support as it typically does when it plays in the Los Angeles area.

Jamaica have matured tremendously over the past two years. The team, a mix of youth and experience, has been able to build plays from the back and not rely solely on athleticism to move the ball forward. It’s this ability to play a more technically-mature style that has propelled Jamaica to this point at the Gold Cup and lays a foundation for the future.

Another MLS-based player, Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, put in a Man of the Match performance against Canada with a series of key saves in the second half (giving up a long-range golazo no one could have ever stopped) to preserve the victory.

“It’s going to be about us,” Blake said when asked about the upcoming semifinals. “It’s about executing our game plan.”