Mexico Edges Panama, Sets Up Epic USMNT Nations League Final

Soccer

The stage is set for yet another epic battle between the two giants of CONCACAF. Mexico booked their spot in the Concacaf Nations League final with a clinical 3-0 victory over Panama on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas. They will now face their biggest rivals, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), in Sunday’s heavyweight championship clash at AT&T Stadium.

In front of almost 50,000 fans heavily favoring El Tri, Mexico got off to a fast start when Edson Alvarez opened the scoring in the 40th minute. The midfielder’s glancing header from a Luis Chavez cross beat the Panamanian keeper at his near post after a well-worked set piece routine.

Just three minutes later, Julian Quinones doubled Mexico’s lead with a right-footed finish after some questionable defending from Panama. Both goals were initially ruled out for offside before being overturned by VAR review.

Any hope of a Panamanian comeback was extinguished in the 66th minute as Orbelin Pineda capped the 3-0 scoreline with a blazing strike from the top of the box. The pro-Mexico crowd erupted into deafening “Mexico! Mexico!” chants as their team booked a mouthwatering final against their biggest rivals.

The history between the two CONCACAF powerhouses is a tangled web of drama, controversies and iconic matches stretching back over 80 years. The US currently holds the upper hand, having won the previous two Nations League titles by defeating Mexico in the 2021 final in Denver and the 2023 semifinals in Las Vegas.

However, El Tri still leads the all-time series 36-17-23 and will be desperate to reassert their dominance over their greatest foes on Sunday. Mexico has not beaten the USMNT since a 2019 friendly, with their archrivals getting the better of them in the last four competitive matches including two tournament finals.

“It will be a great final game,” said Mexico coach Jaime Lozano after Thursday’s win. “The US has won the last two editions but I don’t think any team will be favored on Sunday. We have players in great form and it’s vital for us to get a result to increase faith and trust in this process.”

Players and fans on both sides will be eagerly anticipating the latest installment in this epic soccer rivalry. A sell-out crowd of over 65,000 is expected at AT&T Stadium to witness, which promises to be a ferociously competitive and highly-charged 90 minutes of action.

When these two neighbors meet on the field, you can always expect the unexpected. Another chapter in the storied Mexico-USA rivalry will be etched into the history books come Sunday night in Arlington.