The Copa America Centenario is about to see a fun match, as Group C features a rematch of last year's Gold Cup final, pitting Mexico against Jamaica in a battle between a perennial power of CONCACAF and a team that has made rapid improvement over the last two years. Considering how entertaining last year's match between these teams was, knowing that both sides are even better now suggests that this game could be a highlight of the tournament.
Mexico vs. Jamaica, Copa America 2016: Game time, TV schedule and team news
The same two teams from the CONCACAF Gold Cup final are set to square off in an important Copa America Centenario group stage match.
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We’re going to see high-flying pace, we’ll see hard-nosed midfielders, and there will be attempts at tactics both clever and disciplined. Neither El Tri nor the Reggae Boyz will back down from this match, with Mexico wanting to assert their dominance over the group and their CONCACAF rivals, and with Jamaica wanting to even the score and bounce back from their group-opening loss to Venezuela. There’s a lot on the line in this match, and that will only make for a fantastic display.
Key player -- Wes Morgan (Jamaica)
We saw how important Morgan was to Jamaica in the first match. He started on the bench thanks to wearing himself out celebrating Leicester City's EPL title, but came off the bench late in the first half to great effect, slowing down a previously rampant Venezuela attack. Now that he has some time on the pitch under his belt and some more distance from those raucous parties, hopefully he can make the same kind of impact against Mexico, this time from the first whistle. If he can keep Chicharito under control, it would be a huge boost to Jamaica's chances of getting something out of this match.
Key matchup -- Hector Herrera (Mexico) vs. Lee Williamson (Jamaica)
Herrera was the standout star for Mexico in their group stage opener against Uruguay, dominating midfield both in and out of possession, playing a more creative game than we're used to seeing from him and bossing the midfield when Uruguay were on the ball. That's a frightening thing for Jamaica to face considering how poor their midfield looked in their match against Venezuela, with Rodolph Austin being sent off and Michael Hector having a disastrous performance. Lee Williamson will have to step up and have a great showing despite his advancing years -- but if Herrera gets the best of him, it's going to be another long, nail-biting day for Jamaica fans.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. local
Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Univision, Univision Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Azteca 7, UnivisionTDN, TDN (Mexico), SportsMax 2 (Jamaica)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports Go, fuboTV (U.S.)
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