Haiti vs Mexico

State Farm Stadium forms the backdrop for a top-table 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B six-pointer between Haiti and Mexico.

It’s been precisely 50 years since Haiti’s only previous Gold Cup triumph. But based on their enthralling 2-1 comeback win over Qatar on Saturday, the ‘Grenadiers’ fans can dare to dream big. Although their fairytale may come to an end against an almighty Mexico, the Caribbeans have laid the groundwork for another knockout qualification. They have reached the quarter-finals three times since the turn of the 21st century and the semi-finals once in 2019. While the bookmakers don’t fancy their chances in this match-up, Gabriel Calderón Pellegrino’s side won’t go down without a fight, especially after racking up a six-game winning run in the build-up to this encounter. However, it’s worth noting that they’ve failed to score in both Gold Cup meetings with Mexico in the new millennium (L2).

On the other hand, Mexico issued a statement of intent in their curtain-raising Group B fixture against Honduras, netting precisely twice on either side of halftime in an overwhelming 4-0 triumph. After an underwhelming third-place finish in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League, ‘El Tri’ are desperate to better their runner-up finish from the last Gold Cup campaign. Interim boss Jaime Lozano couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his managerial tenure at the record 11-time Gold Cup winners, helping them improve a decent-looking nine-game run in international action (W5, D3, L1). Another triumphant day is on the horizon, considering the Mexicans have only lost one of their 12 historic meetings with Haiti (W8, D3). But Mexico had to survive extra-time drama to overcome Haiti in their last encounter at the Gold Cup (1-0), so they can’t take anything for granted..