Mexico's Luis Romo (7) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Honduras during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) |
Mexico won its first game under interim coach Jaime Lozano, opening the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-0 victory over Honduras on Sunday night.
Luis Romo beat goalkeeper Luis López with an 18-yard left
foot shot about 50 seconds in, Mexico’s fastest Gold Cup goal. He doubled the
lead in the 23rd minute with his third international goal, a close-range header
after Jesús Gallardo nodded a corner kick in front of the net.
Orbelín Pineda scored in the 52nd minute, dribbling just
into the penalty area before scoring his eighth international goal, and Luis
Chávez added his second international in the 64th from near the penalty spot.
Diego Cocca was fired as Mexico coach after the CONCACAF
Nations League, where Mexico lost to the U.S. 3-0 in a semifinal before beating
Panama 1-0 for third place.
In the first game of the Group B doubleheader, Haiti beat
invited guest Qatar 2-1 after Frantzdy Pierrot poked in a centering pass in the
seventh minute of second-half stoppage time. Yusuf Abdurisag put Qatar ahead in
the 20th minute and Duckens Nazon tied the score in the first minute of
first-half stoppage time,
In Group A at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Trinidad and Tobago
defeated St. Kitts and Nevis 3-0 on goals by Alvin Jones in the 43rd and Ajani
Fortune in the 65th plus an own goal by Jameel Ible in the 73rd. -AP