Vega leads ‘El Tri’ to victory as Mexico reaches Gold Cup semifinals

Glendale, Arizona – The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup touched down in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday with a double-header as part of the knock-out stage. The winner of each match would punch their ticket to the semifinals. 

State Farm Stadium, the Arizona Cardinal’s home field, hosted the soccer action. The first match featured Panama vs. Honduras, ending in a 0-0 in regulation and leading to a penalty shootout. Honduras outlasted Panama 5-4 to advance to the semifinals.

As the Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico match approached, fans streamed into the stadium proudly representing their teams. Mexico, clearly the fan favorite, was represented in colorful fashion — lucha libre masks, Mexican flags worn as capes, sombreros, jerseys and even pop culture icons like “El Chapulín Colorado”. 

One fan sported a “Chewbacca” costume in the emblematic green, white and red of “El Tri.” Witty signage also filled the stands, such as “Te cambio a mi hermana por tu jersey, Alexis”, meaning “I’ll trade you my sister for your jersey, Alexis.”

Mexico traditionally draws large crowds, often selling out State Farm Stadium. But this time, the atmosphere was noticeably different. Fear over nationwide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids kept many fans home. Attendance for Saturday night’s quarterfinals was just 35,225 — far below the stadium’s fixed seating capacity of 63,400, which can extend to more than 73,000 for major events.

Despite the smaller crowd, fans made their presence known as the match began. Chants of “¡México! ¡México! ¡México!” echoed throughout the stadium.

Mexico posed an early threat to Saudi Arabia with a goal attempt in the opening minutes of the match. The fan favorite struggled to find chemistry and rhythm at the beginning. 

Midfielder Luis Chávez was sidelined after suffering a torn right ACL during training ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal match. He left camp to receive medical treatment and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Despite being shorthanded, El Tri maintained a strong offense during the game. 

Saudi Arabia held Mexico scoreless through the first half, defending with intensity and pushing forward on offense. The Green Falcons nearly scored in the closing minutes before halftime but came up short despite multiple free-kick opportunities.

One of Mexico’s best chances came when Alexis Vega’s right-footed shot from outside the box hit the post, following an assist from Gilberto Mora.

Tensions flared in the final moments of stoppage time in the first half. A foul by Jesús Gallardo led to a scuffle with yellow cards for Gallardo and Saudi Arabia’s Ali Majrashi. The half ended 0-0.

Despite Saudi Arabia's efforts, Mexico dominated in the first half with 63% possession and 88% pass accuracy. They registered eight shots, including one on target that was saved in the 23rd minute. 

Mexico came out strong in the second half and posed an immediate threat to their opponent.  In the 49th minute, Vega took a right-footed shot that was saved — but seconds later, he scored with another attempt from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. Initially ruled offside, the goal was awarded after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Fans erupted into abundant cheers and chants as the Aztec team took the lead.

Vega honored Chávez by holding up his jersey in celebration of the goal.

The second half was more fluid for El Tri, who showed greater aggression on offense. Saudi Arabia remained determined with an extreme eagerness not to be shut out by Mexico, which is 3-1-0 in the tournament, but struggled against Mexico’s sustained pressure. 

In the 80th minute, Saudi Arabia conceded an own goal following a cross from Mateo Chávez, pushing Mexico’s lead to 2-0. 

It marked Mexico’s 200th goal in Gold Cup history, making them the first team to reach the milestone. The United States follows with 197 goals heading into their quarterfinal against Costa Rica on Sunday.

The Green Falcons would remain persistent for a goal, in hopes of avoiding a shutout. Saudi Arabia would conclude the match with one shot attempt, the fewest in any knockout round match in the CONCACAF Gold Cup since 2013. 

“They didn’t scare us, we managed to keep the goal at zero,” said Mexico’s head coach Javier Aguirre after the game.

Alexis Vega earned Player of the Match for his goal and overall impact. 

History was also made by Gilberto Mora, who became the youngest player (16 years, 257 days old) to debut for Mexico in a Gold Cup match since Canada’s Alphonso Davies in 2017. According to CONCACAF, Mora is the youngest player to appear in a knockout stage match since at least 2013. 

Aguirre praised Mora’s “natural talent” and commitment, crediting him for earning a starting spot. He also emphasized that the team has room for improvement in preparation for the semifinal, saying: “We need to close better. It’s going to be an even match with a lot of tension - we need to take care of the details. It has to be a perfect match” in order to overcome Honduras. 

Both coaches applauded the crowd’s energy. Saudi Arabia’s head coach Hervé Renard said the atmosphere was "fantastic" despite the result, adding, “We didn’t respond well,” and hoped the team would take the experience into World Cup qualifiers.

Mexico will face Honduras on Wednesday, July 2 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, vying for a spot in the final and a second consecutive Gold Cup title. 

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. It marks the first time the Gold Cup Final will be hosted in the state of Texas. 

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.