Mexico had its chances but failed to score vs. Costa Rica, settling for a 0–0 draw in their final group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup.
El Tri played its best 30 minutes of the tournament to start the game, but Keylor Navas looked like his former Real Madrid self and the veteran goalkeeper denied Raúl Jiménez and co. from finding the back of the net. Cost Rica survived the early Mexican onslaught and gradually grew into the match.
In the second half, Javier Aguirre’s team fell off a cliff and were incapable of maintaining control of the match. Sloppy mistakes in possession allowed Costa Rica to gain confidence and have dangerous opportunities, non clearer than when striker Alonso Martínez fired a shot from distance that hit the crossbar.
Santiago Gimenez came off the bench and scored a stunning goal, striking the ball with an acrobatic volley in stoppage time. Mexico thought it had the result in the bag, but the goal was ultimately disallowed for offside.
The scoreless draw sees Mexico qualify to the Gold Cup quarterfinals as the top team from Group A. However, the performance of Aguirre’s side for the vast majority of the group stage has been subpar. Improvements in every facet of the game are needed if El Tri is going to successfully defend its Gold Cup crown.
Up next, Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals on Saturday, June 28
Mexico Player Ratings v. Costa Rica (4-3-3)
Costa Rica Player Ratings vs. Mexico (5-3-2)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mexico 0-0 Costa Rica: Player Ratings As El Tri Draw Final Game of Gold Cup Group Stage.
