Vega spurs Mexico into Gold Cup Semifinals | OneFootball

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup continued with Mexico earning a 2-nil win against Saudi Arabia in the Quarterfinals on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, USA.

Ali Majrashi made a key interception inside the box in the 15’ to cut off a service from Roberto Alvarado that was directed for Raúl Jiménez.

Majrashi had a long-distance effort in the 20’ as Saudi Arabia pushed for the opening goal.

Alexis Vega nearly struck from outside the box in the 45’+4’, with a right-footed effort that was just wide, to send the match scoreless into halftime.

Vega obtained the opening goal in the second half, striking with a right-footed finish inside the box in the 49’. Vega had his previous attempt blocked by Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi, but the Mexican striker pounced on the rebound for the breakthrough moment.

Mexico’s second goal came in the 81’ off an own goal from Abdullah Madu. Mateo Chávez caused the error with a left-footed cross into the box in search of connecting with Santiago Giménez.

Mexico advances to the Semifinals and will face Honduras on Wednesday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Saudi Arabia concludes its debut campaign with a Quarterfinals finish.

Post-Match Data

Mexico’s second goal against Saudi Arabia was their 200th goal in the Concacaf Gold Cup, the first team to reach that milestone, ahead of the USA, who sits on 197 goals entering their quarter-final.

· With this result, Mexico tilted the balance in their favor when facing non-Concacaf teams at the Gold Cup (W4 D1 L3). They also snapped a three-match losing streak against teams from outside the confederation in the competition (losses to South Africa and Colombia in 2005, and Qatar in 2023).

· Mexico have scored in the second half in six of their last seven Concacaf Gold Cup matches. On the other hand, they have only one first-half goal across their last five games in the tournament.

· Mexico held Saudi Arabia to just 0.02 expected goals, the lowest xG in any Concacaf Gold Cup match since Opta began tracking that data in 2019. Mexico held Saudi Arabia to just one shot in this match, the fewest in any knockout round match in the Concacaf Gold Cup since at least 2013.

· Alexis Vega scored his second goal in the Concacaf Gold Cup and first in over six years, since scoring in a win over Cuba in 2019.

· At 16 years, 257 days old, Mexico’s Gilberto Mora is the youngest player to appear in a match at the Concacaf Gold Cup since Alphonso Davies for Canada in 2017. He is the youngest to appear in a knockout match in the competition since at least 2013.

· Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Al Obud won seven of the 10 duels he contested against Mexico, tied with Saleh Al Shehri for the team high. Al Obud won a team-high 27 duels during this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup.