Mexico vs Panama score, result, and highlights as Santi Gimenez goal gives El Tri 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Simon Borg

•
Mexico vs Panama score, result, and highlights as Santi Gimenez goal gives El Tri 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup image

An 88th-minute goal by substitute Santi Gimenez decided the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, giving Mexico a 1-0 victory over Panama, good for El Tri's 12th continental title and first since 2019.

The late Gimenez goal on a breakaway solo run that started from midfield was a crushing blow to a Panama side that played Mexico toe-to-toe and arguably deserved a better outcome from the match. It was the third final that Panama has lost after finishing runner-up to the USA in 2005 and 2013.

The trophy caps an incredible turnaround orchestrated by interim manager Jaime Lozano, who took over a team under fire for underperforming in the CONCACAF Nations League and 'El Jimmy' injected confidence and belief in El Tri as they won five of their six matches in the Gold Cup with four shutouts.

It would seem like a foregone conclusion that the Mexican federation will give Lozano the full-time job, especially after several of the Mexico players backed him for the job.

Panama started the match strong with a handful of opportunities created by lively forward Ismael Diaz, while Panama goalkeeper 'Kuty' Mosquera made a critical double save to keep the score level at halftime. The VAR also scratched an excellent first-half Mexico goal by Henry Martin due to an offside in the lead-up.

The chances were fewer in the second half thanks in part to excellent defending from both sides, and the match looked destined for extra time. But Lozano pushed all the right buttons once again, bringing on Gimenez and watching him score four minutes later to decide the match. 

Jaime Lozano earns permanent Mexico job

Mexico's CONCACAF Nations League disaster ultimately proved a blessing in disguise, giving Mexico a chance to replace previous manager Diego Cocca who was not the selection of newly installed Mexican federation president Juan Carlos Rodriguez.

The Nations League debacle meant Mexico needed an emergency replacement, and that's likely the only scenario in which Lozano likely would've received his shot. And he made the most of it.

'El Jimmy', 44, doesn't have a resume that makes him an obvious choice for Mexico national team manager. Outside of a nondescript spell with Queretaro and another with Necaxa, his biggest achievement as a manager was the bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics in charge of Mexico's Under-23 team.

The articulate Lozano has shown confidence, leadership, and superb management of the players, the media, and the moment. He struck the right tone and made the right common-sense decisions, without complicating things along the way. The air of negativity around the team in recent years has disappeared.

Lozano has a strong feel for these players, especially having coached several of them with the Under-23s. And they trust him. While there will be missteps along the way, but it's a strong foundation to build on moving forward toward the 2026 World Cup. 

Mexico vs Panama final score

  Final Goal scorer
Mexico 1 Santi Gimenez 88'
Panama 0  

Lineups:

Mexico (4-3-3): 13-Ochoa (GK) — 19-J. Sanchez, 3-Montes, 5-J. Vasquez, 23-Gallardo — 7-Romo, 4-E. Alvarez, 18-L. Chavez (14-E. Sanchez 75') — 15-Antuna (10-Alvarado 75'), 20-Martin (11-Gimenez, 84'), 17-Pineda (21-Reyes 92').

Panama (3-4-1-2): 22-Mosquera (GK) — 3-Cummings (9-Londono 91'), 4-Escobar, 16-Andrade — 10-Barcenas, 20-Godoy, 8-Carrasquilla, 15-Davis (25-Anderson 61')— 19-Quintero (18-Waterman, 61') — 17-Fajardo, 11-I. Diaz.

Mexico vs Panama live updates, highlights and commentary from Gold Cup

Final: Mexico 1-0 Panama

95th min.: Chance Mexico! Another counter led by Santi Gimenez, but instead of taking the shot, he tried to pass to Piojo Alvarado.

90th min.: Five minutes of stoppage time.

88th min.: Goal Mexico! It's the sub Santi Gimenez who makes a run from midfield, he turns a defender (Harold Cummings) and goes at goal before scuffing a shot past Panama's goalkeeper. What a solo run. It showed that he had fresh legs, coming on just four minutes before.

84th min.: SUB Mexico. Santi Gimenez is in for Henry Martin.

80th min.: Mexico are pushing numbers forward, but they can't get around or past the Panamanian defenders. It's a credit to the defending by Los Canaleros. El Tri need a special play from one of their attackers (or a big Panama mistake) to pull this one out.

75th min.: SUBS Mexico. Piojo Alvarado and Chiquito Sanchez are in the match with 15 minutes remaining.

71st min.: Chance Panama! Ivan Anderson is put through by Coco Carrasquilla, but Memo Ochoa stops his shot and the follow-up attempt. But there was an offside on the play. (Still, that was fine goalkeeping by Ochoa.)

66th min.: Chance Mexico! Orbelin Pineda delivered the cross from the left, but Uriel Antuna's header is saved. Moments later Orbelin Pineda makes an electric move, converging from the left to the center, but his shot is wild and astray.

63rd min.: Red card shown to Harold Cummings for a second yellow, but he wasn't the player who fouled Orbelin Pineda, and the referee does well to reverse his decision and show the yellow to Anibal Godoy instead. That red card would have been a disaster for Panama. Crisis averted.

61st min.: SUBS Panama. Veterans Eric Davis and Alberto Quintero are out, with Ivan Anderson and Cecilio Waterman coming in. 

60th min.: YELLOW card to Mexico's Edson Alvarez and let's see how long Jaime Lozano sticks with him in this match.

57th min.: Chance Mexico! But what a play by Anibal Godoy coming back into Panama's box and takes the ball off the feet of Edson Alvarez, who was set to hit it first time on goal.

53rd min.: Chance Panama! Alberto Quintero can't get his header on goal and it just misses the target. That was as good a look as Panama might get in this match.

48th min.: This looks like it's going to be a heated second half. Here's Henry Martin and Adalberto 'Coco' Carrasquilla going at it.

46th min.: Second half is underway. Just 45 minutes (and perhaps extra time) left to determine a champion.

Halftime: Mexico 0-0 Panama

Halftime: That was an excellent half of soccer for a final: intense, fast, physical, and fairly open. Panama are also going for it, and each team is getting its best chances in transition.

Ismael Diaz is on fire for Panama, while Orbelin Pineda has been bright for Mexico. The players who have disappointed so far for El Tri are Jorge Sanchez and Edson Alvarez, who has not left a mark on this game. Cesar Montes has been immense for Mexico, but he got a yellow card for protests toward the end and will now have to play under caution for the rest of the second half, as does his partner Johan Vasquez.

Two massive defensive plays by Montes and an incredible double save by Panama goalkeeper 'Kuty' Mosquera are the main reasons this game is still 0-0.

48th min.: Chance Panama! One last thrust forward for Panama, and the ball pops back out to Anibal Godoy at the top of the box. And his volley just misses the left post.

47th min.: Penalty Mexico? Eric Davis and Uriel Antuna collide in the box, but the referee is not pointing to the spot.

45th min.: Three minutes of stoppage time.

43rd min.: Chance Mexico! Double save by 'Kuty' Mosquera! First he stops an Orbelin Pineda shot, and then he saves the follow-up poke shot by a lunging Henry Martin.

41st min.: Chance Mexico! A deflected Luis Romo shot nearly falls perfectly for a teammate, but an acrobatic clearance by Panama's Edgar Barcenas avoids the danger.

40th min.: Mexico chance! It's a great set piece play from Mexico, but the header by Johan Vasquez finishes high of the bar.

35th min.: VAR disallows the Mexico goal for offside! Apparently Henry Martin was offside on the long ball from Memo Ochoa!

33rd min.: Goal Mexico! What a team move! Long ball by Memo Ochoa which Henry Martin wins in the air. Then Orbelin Pineda fed Luis Romo down the right. Romo crosses, and Martin does the rest in the penalty area.

29th min.: Panama chance. Again, it's Ismael Diaz proving a terror on the left wing. and causing issues for Jorge Sanchez. But he shoots wildly and the danger disappears.

24th min.: Dive in the box! Mexico right-back Jorge Sanchez takes a terrible dive in the Panama box, but doesn't get a yellow card for it. Instead, Panama coach Thomas Christiansen gets a yellow for protesting the lack of a caution!

19th min.: Chance Mexico! Luis Chavez feeds Uriel Antuna on the right side of the Panama box, but his shot is low, weak and doesn't bother Panama 'keeper 'Kuty' Mosquera. But it's Mexico's first shot on goal.

14th min.: Chance Panama! Ismael Diaz just blows by Mexico fullback Jorge Sanchez down the left side of the box and he blasts a shot that center-back Cesar Montes blocks for a corner. Nothing comes of it. Ismael Diaz looks up for it.

11th min.: YELLOW card to Johan Vasquez for bringing down Anibal Godoy 25 yards out. And it's a dangerous free kick for Panama. After the wall batted back the first shot, Edgar Barcenas fires on goal but Memo Ochoa stops it.

4th min.: Panama have had the stronger start, opting for the direct long balls bypassing midfield. The Panamanians have threatened on three different occasions, with the Diaz chance being the most serious chance.

And the wave has started at SoFi and we're only five minutes in! The Mexican Mandalorian is one of those fans.

2nd min.: Chance Panama! Mexico's Luis Chavez loses the ball, and Coco Carrasquilla feeds Ismael Diaz in behind, but Diaz can't get his feet right and Cesar Montes clears. That was a close one for Mexico.

1st min.: Mexico kick off. El Tri are in all-green kits while Panama are all white.

Kickoff:

2 mins. from kickoff: Former Mexican 'keeper Oswaldo Sanchez and Panamanian great Blas Perez bring the trophy out to a podium on the field. The teams follow and the anthems are next.

5 mins. from kickoff: To rev up the crowd, the performers of the official Gold Cup song "No es solo un Juego" are performing at midfield.

30 mins. from kickoff: Teams are warming up and it's almost time. The setting at SoFi Stadium will be spectacular.

35 mins. from kickoff: Lineups are out and both are as projected. For Mexico, Edson Alvarez is back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the semis due to the knee injury he picked up earlier in the tournament.

45 mins. from kickoff: We'll see how the new grass surface they laid down plays tonight. There are reports (and photos) of visible seams.

1 hour from kickoff: It's a sea of green inside and outside SoFi Stadium. What a scene it will be if El Tri can hoist the trophy.

1 hours, 5 mins. from kickoff: The referee for the match is Said Martinez of Honduras. The rest of the crew are his compatriots.

1 hours, 10 mins. from kickoff: It's the match before the match. It's a dance-off between Mexico and Panama outside the stadium. Spoiler alert: no one wins.

1 hours, 20 mins. from kickoff: OptaJorge makes an interesting statistical observation that a 9th Mexico Gold Cup title would be more than any of the other winners combined (USA's seven + Canada's one).

1 hours, 30 mins. from kickoff: The Panamanian tailgate is the place to be if you show up to the game with an appetite.

1 hours, 30 mins. from kickoff: Hype video time ahead of Gold Cup final.

2 hours from kickoff: The 2023 final may not feature the USA vs. Mexico rivalry matchup this time, but Mexico vs. Panama is still sold out with a crowd that is expected to be heavily in favor of El Tri.

Mexico vs Panama lineups

There is only one change to El Tri's lineup as Edson Alvarez re-enter the starting XI with Erick 'El Chiquito' Sanchez dropping to the bench despite his strong performances during this tournament. In the case the team is struggling to break through Panama, Sanchez would prove a useful sub off the bench.

Mexico starting lineup (4-3-3): 13-Guillermo Ochoa (GK) — 19-Jorge Sanchez, 3-Cesar 'Cachorro' Montes, 5-Johan Vasquez, 23-Jesus Gallardo — 7-Luis Romo, 4-Edson Alvarez, 18-Luis Chavez — 15-Uriel Antuna, 20-Henry Martin, 17-Orbelin Pineda

Mexico subs (12): 1-Jose Antonio Rodriguez (GK), 12-Luis Angel Malagon (GK), 2-Julian Araujo, 21-Israel Reyes, 22-Victor Guzman, 6-Gerardo Arteaga, 8-Carlos 'Charly' Rodriguez, 14-Erick 'Chiquito' Sanchez, 10-Roberto Alvarado, 16-Diego Lainez,  9-Ozziel Herrera, 11-Santiago Gimenez.

Panama manager Thomas Christiansen rolls out his regular lineup with three center-backs, Edgar Barcenas and Eric Davis at wingback, and the elusive Alberto Quintero behind the two forwards. The performance in the heart of midfield by captain Anibal Godoy and Gold Cup standout Adalberto 'Coco' Carrasquilla could tip the match.

Panama lineup (3-4-1-2, right to left): 22-Orlando 'Kuty' Mosquera (GK) — 3-Harold Cummings, 4-Fidel Escobar, 16-Andres Andrade — 10-Edgar Barcenas, 20-Anibal Godoy, 8-Adalberto Carrasquilla, 15-Eric Davis — 19-Alberto Quintero — 17-Jose Fajardo, 11-Ismael Diaz.

Panama subs (12): 1-Luis Mejia (GK), 12-Cesar Samudio (GK), 14-Eduardo Anderson, 5-Roderick Miller, 25-Ivan Anderson, 13-Freddy Gondola, 6-Cristian Martinez, 24-Omar Valencia, 7-Jovani Welch, 9-Azarias Londono, 21-Cesar Yanis, 18-Cecilio Waterman

MORE: Every Gold Cup champion in the history of the tournament

Mexico vs Panama live stream, TV channel

Here are the details for the live stream and TV channel to watch the Mexico vs. Panama Gold Cup final for fans based in the USA and Canada: 

USA

  • Date: Sunday, July 16
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
  • TV channel: FS1, Univision, TUDN
  • Streaming: Fubo, Fox Sports site/app, TUDN site/app

The final will be televised in the USA on the Fox network (English) and Univision and TUDN (Spanish) with all three channels streaming on Fubo, which is available to new users on a free trial.

Subscribers to cable, satellite, or telco packages can use those authenticated credentials to access a live stream on the Fox Sports or TUDN site and app.

Canada

  • Date: Sunday, July 16
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
  • TV channel: Telus Optik TV (Channel 980)
  • Streaming: Fubo Canada, OneSoccer site/app

The match will be televised in Canada on Telus Optik TV (Channel 980), where viewers can watch the OneSoccer broadcast.

It will also be streamed on Fubo Canada, as well as on the OneSoccer site and app for subscribers.

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.