INGLEWOOD, California — Mexico’s pursuit of a record-extending 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title began with a narrow escape on Saturday night, as the reigning champions fended off a spirited Dominican Republic side in a pulsating 3-2 encounter at SoFi Stadium.
El Tri looked poised for a routine victory after taking a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but a historic goal from the underdogs and a deflected strike forced the Mexicans to dig deep to secure all three points in their Group A opener.
Alvarez and Jimenez ignite early confidence
With a sea of green shirts dominating the crowd of 54,309 in Inglewood, Mexico struck just before halftime. Midfield anchor Edson Álvarez rose high at the near post to thunder home a header from a corner in the 44th minute, giving Mexico a deserved lead.
Momentum carried through the break as Raúl Jiménez, the veteran forward, doubled the lead a mere 30 seconds into the second half. Latching onto a precise through ball from Santiago Giménez, Jiménez delivered a composed finish to put Mexico 2-0 ahead.
Gonzalez makes history, sparks Dominican fightback
Just as the match seemed headed for a routine result, the Dominican Republic made their mark with a moment of magic. In the 51st minute, Peter González etched his name into Gold Cup history, delivering a stunning solo effort — the nation’s first-ever goal in the tournament.
González’s strike breathed life into the underdogs and stunned a Mexico side briefly rattled by the unexpected response.
Montes responds, Azcona adds late drama
The response from Mexico, however, was swift. Barely two minutes after conceding, César Montes stepped forward to restore the two-goal cushion with a confident finish, making it 3-1 in the 53rd minute.
But the drama was far from over.
In the 67th minute, Dominican forward Edison Azcona unleashed a speculative shot that took a wicked deflection and wrong-footed the Mexican goalkeeper, narrowing the gap to 3-2. The goal injected tension into the final stages of the match, as Mexico clung to their lead under rising pressure.
A nervy win to launch the title defense
Despite late jitters, Mexico held firm to seal the victory and start their title defense with a hard-earned win.
Already the most decorated team in Gold Cup history with nine titles, El Tri now set their sights on a 10th championship — but Saturday’s opener served as a sobering reminder that no game in this tournament can be taken for granted.
