Mexico Edge Past Honduras 1-0 to Move Within Reach of Gold Cup Glory
Mexico secured a 1-0 victory over Honduras in a challenging Gold Cup semifinal encounter and will now meet the USMNT in their quest for consecutive championship titles.
The opening period could best be characterized as an intense battle, with Honduras attempting to control the match through their physical presence and aggressive play. Los Catrachos displayed fierce determination, disrupting Mexico's players who sought to dictate the tempo through possession-based football.
Mexico found it difficult to create scoring opportunities but managed some promising moments; nevertheless, Raúl Jiménez squandered a golden header opportunity and Edrick Menjívar thwarted Marcel Ruiz with an excellent stop to keep the match goalless at the break.
Mexico required just five minutes to break the deadlock in the second period, as 16-year-old Gilberto Mora produced an outstanding assist to set up Jiménez, who netted his 41st international goal for El Tri. Javier Aguirre's team maintained their superiority and added another through Edson Álvarez in the 54th minute, though it was subsequently ruled out for an offside violation.
Aguirre remained conservative with his player changes and chose to preserve the narrow lead. Honduras attempted to mount attacks with greater intensity and determination than technical skill, but failed to register more than one shot on target throughout the entire contest.
The match concluded with Mexico achieving their objective. Despite lacking a commanding display, Mexico advanced to another Gold Cup final, where they will face the USMNT in what represents the final official fixture for both teams before the commencement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Individual player assessments from Mexico's victory are listed below.
Mexico Player Ratings vs. Honduras (4-3-3)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Luis Malagón | 7.5 |
RB: Julián Araujo | 7.1 |
CB: César Montes | 7.5 |
CB: Johan Vásquez | 7 |
LB: Mateo Chávez | 6.9 |
CM: Edson Álvarez | 6.8 |
CM: Marcel Ruiz | 6.7 |
CM: Gilberto Mora | 7.9 |
RW: Roberto Alvarado | 6.7 |
LW: Alexis Vega | 7.6 |
ST: Raúl Jiménez | 7.6 |
SUB: César Huerta (71' for Chávez) | 6.2 |
SUB: Jesús Orózco (71' for Alvarado) | 6.5 |
SUB: Santiago Gimenez (77' for Mora) | 5.8 |
SUB: Erik Lira (90' for Mora) | N/A |
SUB: Orbelín Pineda (90' for Jiménez) | N/A |
Honduras Player Ratings vs. Mexico (4-4-2)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Edrick Menjívar | 6.1 |
RB: Luis Crisanto | 6.8 |
CB: Denil Maldonado | 7.3 |
CB: José Martínez | 6.5 |
LB: Joseph Rosales | 7.2 |
CM: Deybi Flores | 6.4 |
CM: Kervin Arriaga | 6.6 |
RW: Dixon Ramírez | 6 |
LW: Romell Quito | 6.2 |
ST: Jorge Álvarez | 6.6 |
ST: Anthony Lozano | 5.9 |
SUB: Justin Arboleda (71' for Lozano) | 6 |
SUB: Luis Palma (71' for Quioto) | 6.4 |
SUB: Carlos Pineda (84' for Álvarez) | N/A |
SUB: Edwin Rodríguez (89' for Flores) | N/A |
Player of the Match: Gilberto Mora (Mexico)