The 2009 Gold Cup ended in triumph for Mexico. They went to East Rutherford, NJ for the final and dropped the hammer on their rivals, the United States, with five second half goals to claim the trophy. Sure, they were playing without many of their best players and the U.S. was playing without even more of their best players, but a 5-0 victory in a final against your rivals is always worth some celebration.
Mexico Vs. Guatemala, 2011 Gold Cup: El Tri Returning To Site of ‘09 Triumph
Now El Tri is looking to defend their Gold Cup title and as they begin the knockout stages, they return to the site of their 2009 triumph in East Rutherford. It’s not the exact site. Since 2009 the stadium that they won the title in, Giants Stadium, has ben demolished, but Mexico will play their quarterfinal match in the stadium that replaced it on almost the exact same plot of land, New Meadowlands Stadium.
As is always the case when Mexico plays in the U.S., they will have a decidedly pro-Mexican crowd supporting them. All 80,000 seats at New Meadowlands Stadium have been sold and if any fewer than 78,000 are filled by Mexicans it will be a shocker. It will be a sea of green as El Tri take on Guatemala for a spot in the semifinals.
To expect El Tri to match the result of their last trip to East Rutherford might be asking a little much. A 5-0 result is impressive no matter the opponent and expecting that in a knockout stage match is setting the bar a little too high. That said, Guatemala are heavy underdogs and Mexico should have no problem disposing of them. Giovani dos Santos, Gerardo Torrado and the rest of El Tri should have a field day, just like they did two years ago.
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