History Made for Mexico: Takeaways from El Tri's Gold Cup Quarterfinals Win | OneFootball

Mexico comfortably dispatched Saudi Arabia 2–0 to advance to the Gold Cup semifinals, where Honduras awaits.

After a complicated first half where Mexico couldn't find a way to carve open Saudi Arabia's defense, El Tri responded in the second half and quickly found a breakthrough thanks to a stellar play between Raúl Jiménez and Alexis Vega that saw the latter score his first goal of the Gold Cup.

El Tri continued to dominate proceedings for the remainder of the match, scoring a second thanks to a calamitous own goal by Abdullah Madu.

It was a solid performance by El Tri, but fans will feel like there's still more this team can offer. Mexico is yet to play an opponent that truly serves as a measuring stick and Honduras in the semifinals will continue that trend.

The path to the Gold Cup final couldn't be more accessible for Javier Aguirre's side, but once they make it there, the level they've shown won't be enough to beat either Canada or the USMNT.

Still, Mexico did its job and its Gold Cup title-defense remains going strong.

Takeaways from Mexico's win vs. Saudi Arabia below.

Liga MX Champions Shine

Alexis Vega played his best game of the Gold Cup vs. Saudi Arabia. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reigning Liga MX champions Toluca have been the best team in Mexico all year thanks in large part to the duo of Marcel Ruiz and Alexis Vega. Both players replicated their club form and carried El Tri to victory.

Ruiz dominated in midfield, winning eight duels on the night and constantly receiving the ball in between the lines to begin attacking actions. After featuring only once for El Tri prior to the start of the summer, the 24-year-old player appears to be making a name for himself with Mexico in the Gold Cup.

Vega was the best player on the night. His quality was on full display and he commanded Mexico's most dangerous actions. Even when Mexico was struggling to find the breakthrough, Vega was constantly asking for the ball looking to make something happen. It was a mature performance from El Tri's No. 10 that was crowned with his first goal for the national team in over two years.

With Vega and Ruiz on the pitch, Mexico replicated Toluca's championship-winning formula, with the pair constantly linking up with each other on the left flank. Their chemistry and understanding is evident and should be exploited in coming games.

Welcome to El Tri, Gilberto Mora

Gilberto Mora played his first minutes of the 2025 Gold Cup / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Arguably the biggest surprise of the night happened even before the starting whistle blew, with Aguirre deciding to include 16-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora in the lineup.

There were plenty of questions regarding how Aguirre would handle the loss of the injured Luis Chávez. Would he revert back to a 4-4-2 formation? Would Carlos Rodríguez be given another shot to impress? No, he instead opted to gamble with one of the most promising talents Mexico has to offer.

Mora became the youngest player ever to play an official game for El Tri, getting the nod to start in Chávez's place. The Tijuana midfielder made his debut with the national team during a friendly in January's tour in South America, but he was yet to play a single minute in the Gold Cup.

Former Mexico national team manager Juan Carlos Osorio gave the prodigy his debut in Liga MX a year ago and he delivered instantly. Mora is a gifted technician that has the ability to dictate games with the ball at his feet. Although he looked nervous during the opening exchanges, he grew as the minutes ticked on and created Mexico's most dangerous chance of the first half.

Chavez's injury opens the door for players to step-up and fill his role, giving Mora a very realistic opportunity to make Mexico's 2026 FIFA World Cup roster.

The Santiago Gimenez Dilema

Santiago Gimenez didn't start for a third straight game. / IMAGO/Straffon Images

AC Milan center forward Santiago Gimenez came off the bench for a third straight game for El Tri, strengthening the thought that he's exclusively become Raúl Jiménez's backup for the national team.

Aguirre deployed the pair up-front during Mexico's title-run in the Concacaf Nations League finals earlier in the year and did so again in the team's Gold Cup debut. However, he's since reverted to his historically preferred 4-3-3 system, playing with the Fulham center forward as his lone striker.

Gimenez is a favorite among fans, but he's failed to live-up to his club form with El Tri and, at least for the time being, he's been relegated to a secondary role under Aguirre. Despite Mexico continuing to struggle to score goals, Gimenez can't seem to find his way into the XI.

There's no question the Cruz Azul academy player is one of El Tri's best players, but with Jiménez in peak form and Aguirre opting to play with just one striker, he appears to be the odd man out.

We're two weeks away from the two-year anniversary of Giménez's most recent goal for El Tri in an official match. With the World Cup only a year out, the 24-year-old striker must take advantage of his cameos off the bench to break out of his slump if he wants to play a prominent role next summer.