Long Beach family witnesses a Mexico win for the first time ever during Gold Cup

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Rosa Ramos was in disbelief when she got an email announcing she had been selected as a winner of soccer match tickets.

If it were real, her son and husband, who are both soccer players, would get to see their favorite national team live and in person.

“We are a soccer family and my son and husband would go [to the match],” she wrote to CALÓ News. Ramos had to work and wouldn’t be able to accompany her family, who live in Long Beach, on the roughly 370-mile ride over to Glendale, Arizona, where Mexico was set to play against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Cardinals’ Stadium field on June 28.

A day later, she changed her mind. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she would take advantage of having this mini-vacation with her family.

“I didn't hesitate for a minute... It's the first time we've seen the Mexican National Team play live. My son loved it, and the best part is that Mexico won!” Ramos said from inside State Farm Stadium on Saturday.

Ramos was one of three winners selected by CALÓ News in a ticket giveaway. The lucky winners attended the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal matches in Arizona with their loved ones over the weekend. Additional winners included Michael Ortiz and Carlos Aguilar.

The first match of the evening featured Panama vs Honduras, which ended in a penalty kick face-off, with Honduras coming out on top.

Mexico defeated Saudi Arabia with a final score of 2-0, with one goal from Alexis Vega and an own goal from Abdullah Madu minutes before the game ended, handing El Tri the winning ticket to proceed to the semifinals.

Mexico will face Honduras on Wednesday, July 2, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, vying for a spot in the final and a possible second consecutive Gold Cup title, while the United States will face off with Guatemala the same day at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, where the region’s best national team will be crowned, is scheduled for Sunday, July 6, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. It marks the first time the Gold Cup Final will be hosted in the state.

Johanna Rosalye Luna is an independent journalist and freelance writer for CALÓ News Arizona. She is a Phoenix native who grew up in the Garfield district. Rosalye studied journalism at Arizona State University and Communications at the University of Phoenix. Her reporting interests include community, social issues and sports.