Mexico Edges Panama in CONCACAF Gold Cup Final on 88th-Minute Goal

El Tri rebounded from a spate of poor recent showings to win its ninth title.

Santiago Giménez scored after an electrifying sprint in the 88th minute, and Mexico won the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the record ninth time with a 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday night.

After Edson Álvarez slid to block Iván Anderson’s cross in the Mexico penalty area, Orbelín Pineda dribbled away and made a tremendous pass in the center circle. The 22-year-old Feyenoord forward dribbled past Harold Cummings and outraced Cummings and Fidel Escobar into the penalty area, where he scuffed a bouncing left-foot shot over goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera for his fourth goal in 18 international appearances.

GIMÉNEZ IN THE 88TH MINUTE TO GIVE MEXICO THE LEAD IN THE GOLD CUP FINAL!!!! 😱🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/bScggtL68p

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 17, 2023

The goal by the Argentina-born Giménez set off a frenzied celebration at SoFi Stadium, which was packed with fans celebrating Mexico’s dramatic revival in this biennial CONCACAF tournament. Several months after Mexico crashed out of the World Cup with its worst performance in nearly half a century, El Tri rebounded with an excellent tournament under interim manager Jaime Lozano, who took over the beleaguered program only a month ago.

Mexico, which allowed just two goals in its matches, has won this tournament more than all other nations combined. The U.S. has seven Gold Cup titles and Canada one.

Giménez’s late goal ended an unlikely Gold Cup run by Panama, which upset the U.S. in the semifinals to earn its third appearance in the final. Los Canaleros couldn’t get several solid scoring chances past veteran Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Lozano, who coached Mexico’s Olympic team to a bronze medal in Tokyo two years ago, was hired to lead the Gold Cup campaign by Juan Carlos Rodríguez, who took over as Mexican Football Federation president only a month earlier.

While the Gold Cup is notorious for featuring half-strength national teams, Mexico began the final with eight starters who also started at the World Cup.