Honduras are looking to advance to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup for the first time since 2013 when they face the defending champions Mexico on Saturday at State Farm Stadium.
El Tri blanked El Salvador 1-0 to capture Group A with seven points, while La H dropped a 2-0 decision to Qatar to finish second in Group D with six points.
Match preview
Following their opening three matches at this tournament, it comes as no surprise that the Mexicans are into the knockout phase of this competition yet again.
Gerardo Martino had to deal with an all-out defensive approach from their first two opponents as the Soca Warriors and the Guatemalans employed a back five, focusing on shutting down the Mexican attack.
That tactic seemed to work effectively at times, but perhaps only because the reigning Gold Cup champions came up against two hot goalkeepers, as Marvin Phillip stopped seven shots in the opener for Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador keeper Mario Gonzalez made five terrific stops in their final group game.
The dynamic Mexicans had their share of chances in the group stage, but they rarely took advantage, scoring only four goals, the fewest they have accumulated in the opening phase since notching four in their first three games of the 2007 Gold Cup when they finished second in Group C behind Honduras on goal difference.
They may not have found the back of the net as much as we would have expected, but El Tri have done a masterful job of limiting their opponents' chances, failing to concede a goal now in six consecutive fixtures, allowing only three shots on target so far in this tournament.
Mexico know better than anyone how much tougher this competition gets the further you progress, and it will not be easy to break down a well organized side like Honduras, who held them to zero shots on target in a friendly back in June, which was the first time the Mexicans failed to register a shot on goal in a match since drawing Panama 0-0 in a World Cup qualifier back in 2016.
Even though the Hondurans finished second in their group, Fabian Coito will be pleased with how well his side performed against some strong teams.
The blend of youth and experience set the tone in their opener, as they scored on all four of their shots on target against Grenada before notching another three goals and outlasting Panama 3-2.
In their final match with Qatar, they failed to get a single shot on target despite having 59% of the possession.
If La H are to unseat the defending champions, they will need to be a lot more clinical in the final third than in some of their previous matches versus the Mexicans, having gone goalless in six of their last seven fixtures against them.
Incredibly, Honduras held Mexico without a shot on target in their final friendly before this tournament began despite having only 29% possession.
Los Catrachos are unbeaten in their last two fixtures with El Tri, but history tells us that a Honduras victory this weekend could be hard to come by, given that the Mexicans have never gone winless in three consecutive fixtures against them.
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Team News
Mexican keeper Alfredo Talavera has four consecutive clean sheets, although the 38-year-old has rarely been called into action, having to make a mere three saves in that span.
Right-back Luis Rodriguez, who has been solid at the back, scored only his second international goal in their victory over El Salvador, while Martino made one change to the back four against La Selecta, with Hector Moreno starting in central defence instead of Nestor Araujo.
The lack of goals for Mexico could be due to some key injuries, as the man voted the best player at this competition in 2019, Raul Jimenez, is out with a concussion, while they also lost Hirving Lozano to a concussion in their opener.
Centre-back Kevin Alvarez has earned a lot of valuable international experience at this tournament, with the 24-year-old starting all three matches so far alongside veteran defender Maynor Figueroa, the most capped player in the history of Honduran football.
After scoring the opening goal for his team at this competition, striker Jerry Bengtson has begun their last two fixtures on the bench.
Left-back Diego Rodriguez moved into an attacking midfield role in their match against Qatar with Johnny Leveron taking his spot at full-back, while Jhow Benavidez made his first start of the competition on Tuesday with veteran Boniek Garcia coming on as a second-half substitute.
Mexico possible starting lineup:
Talavera; L. Rodriguez, Salcedo, Araujo, Gallardo; Gutierrez, Alvarez, Herrera; Pineda, Funes Mori, Corona
Honduras possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Crisanto, Alvarez, Figueroa, Leveron; Flores, Acosta, Garcia, Martinez; Bengtson, Quioto
We say: Mexico 2-0 Honduras
The Mexicans had trouble finding the back of the net in the group stage, but aside from a few anxious moments against El Salvador, they have rarely looked like conceding a goal, plus they have the experience of knowing they have not lost a Gold Cup quarter-final since 2005.
Honduras have played the Mexicans tough lately, but they have struggled to score against them at this tournament, going goalless in three of their five Gold Cup fixtures against them and losing their previous two games.
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