Here's the final whistle. Mexico takes a 6-0 win over lowly Cuba to snatch a 7-match win less run.
90' +1
Two minutes added on.
90'
HEY! A real shot from Cuba from the top of the box. Martinez sends it well over, but the best move of the night in the final minute.
89'
Just a couple of minutes left. This can end and it'll be better for everybody.
88'
Ochoa makes a catch from a free kick. There's his contribution to the game.
86'
Great save from the Cuban keeper to keep an own goal out. He's been brilliant tonight. Seems funny to say that about a guy who has given up six, but if you saw the defense being played in front of him, you understand.
83'
Bad foul from Mexico there. Not was you want to see. Cuba has kept the hacking down, and honestly it's been a game played in a decent spirit. One side is just miles better than the other.
81'
Is that a goal? Nope, another one waived off for Gio. It was out of play before being crossed in.
80'
L. Pérez enters the game and replaces J. Corrales.
78'
Peralta with a header over the top. Honestly, if he was on top of things tonight the race for Gold Cup top scorer might have ended. He could have 7 or 8 by himself tonight.
Minute
Description
75'
G. dos Santos has scored a goal for Mexico! Assist by M. Layún.
This one will count. Gio again. Now it really is 6-0. Our stats team will get it right in a minute.
73'
Correction there. It's only 5-0. The Gio goal has been waved off. Took a minute to get that, and Mexico certainly celebrated it and then made a couple of changes. We're back playing now.
72'
C. Esquivel enters the game and replaces A. Guardado.
J. Corona enters the game and replaces C. Vela.
71'
Easy as can be. Vela with the lofted cross to dos Santos. Gio with a nice take down and a nice finish. 6-0....
69'
Vela with a curler off the post. Wow, that would have been a nice one.
68'
Another nearly moment for Mexico. Reyes couldn't get on the end of the cross, but it's out for a corner.
67'
A. Horta enters the game and replaces F. Guerra.
Gio has one saved. No offside flag so it would have counted. Good save from Cuba, maybe with the face.
62'
O. Peralta has scored a goal for Mexico! Assist by G. dos Santos.
And as I say that Peralta rounds out his hat trick. Once again, terrible defending.
60'
Mexico not flowing as freely here in the second half for whatever reason. El Tri still just utterly dominating the ball though.
57'
G. dos Santos enters the game and replaces J. dos Santos.
56'
Jona dos Santos pushes one wide of the mark, and now Gio is coming on for his brother.
55'
D. Suárez enters the game and replaces A. Coroneaux.
Bad news for Cuba. With the team already short on numbers an injury is forcing another player off. For those of you counting, that's now 8 players missing from the roster.
53'
Little bit slower pace to Mexico's play early in the second half. Might be coasting a little, and that wouldn't be the worst idea for the next 10-20 minutes as long as El Tri can limit mistakes in that time.
51'
Guardado with a bad pass out of play. That's been very rare tonight from him.
47'
Mexico swinging it around the back before moving forward for the next attack.
46'
Back in action here in the second half.
Early free kick for Cuba and from 35 he has a go, pushing it well over the mark.
44'
A. Guardado has scored a goal for Mexico! Assist by A. Ríos.
Guardado makes it 5-0... Mexico just taking a stroll in the park. It was a floated ball in, Guardado makes the run, the defender doesn't, and the header the back post is a good one.
43'
Peralta in again! Nope, saved again. This game could be seven or eight to nothing right now.
42'
POST! The header from Oribe comes off the post and Vela can't bang home the rebound.
41'
Cuba wins a free kick. Maza called for the foul. Now a chance for Cuba to whip a ball in and try to take advantage, and a header trickles in to Ochoa. That counts as a shot. 19-1 the count at the moment. Make that 20-1, Dos Santos has one deflected at the other end.
39'
Layun's ball across the face of goal gets through everybody.
38'
Nearly four. Guardado with a clever flick toward the back post.
37'
O. Peralta has scored a goal for Mexico!
And there's the third! Oribe makes no mistake this time. Easy enough on the finish. Clean look from the top of the six. 3-0.
34'
Hey! Memo Ochoa got a touch! It was a pass back from his own teammates, but it still counts.
Oribe with a glaring miss. That should have been the third but he made a hash of it. Then Vela gets pulled down in the box but no pen is given. It's really been an issue just trying to describe all the goal-mouth action. It's coming to frequently for Mexico. Cuba is very, very lucky to be just 2-0 down.
32'
Now Vela gets fouled. More defense for Cuba to play.
31'
Vela just wide of the mark.
30'
Cuba having trouble stringing more than two or three passes together.
28'
Layun whips a ball in to Peralta, who slips his header just wide of the mark.
25'
If the first one didn't the second goal has taken any pressure that remained off of Mexico's back. This has been a very comfortable match so far for El Tri, as you would expect.
22'
C. Vela has scored a goal for Mexico!
Vela makes it TWO! Horrible play from Cuba at the back and Vela pounces to make it 2-0.
20'
Cuba certainly hasn't done much to threaten. There is a wall in front of the Cuba goal at times and Mexico is having some issues working through it.
19'
So there's the goal Mexico was waiting on. That should take some of the pressure off of El Tri.
17'
O. Peralta has scored a goal for Mexico! Assist by A. Guardado.
MEXICO! There's the breakthrough and it has been coming since the opening minute. Vela has his shot saved, Guardado has his saved off the line, and finally Peralta bangs it home.
14'
Guardado with a cross from the left that goes all the way through. Second ball in nearly leads to an own goal, headed dangerously behind and Mexico will have a corner.
13'
Vela did well there to win the ball but took on a shot from a tight angle. Save is made and the danger is gone again.
11'
Foul by Mexico. Cuba with a chance to whip in a free kick and this is about as dangerous as Cuba has been, but even that is wasted.
9'
A slight forward move by Cuba is cut out, and Mexico takes back over the ball, knocking it around comfortably until Herrera is pulled to the ground.
7'
Vela inside the box turns and cuts it back for Herrera, who can't turn it on frame. I'm betting this 0-0 doesn't last long. Mexico has been very dangerous early on.
6'
Ball over the top to Vela who looked like he was offside when it was played. That's a dangerous run if he can hold it a touch longer.
3'
Guardado now with a hit from the top of the box that goes high. Mexico really pressing Cuba high up the pitch. It's going to be hard on Cuba to deal with that level of pressure, and it will be interesting to see how long Mexico can stay pressed that high up the pitch.
2'
Mexico with the ball out on the right flank. Nice dummy from Guardado sets up Layun, who has his shot well saved. Mexico already trying to take command of this one.
1'
We're off and running in Chicago. Mexico in the black kit tonight, Cuba in all-white with red lettering. Mexico moving right to left as I see it.
Welcome to Goal's LIVE commentary of tonight's Group C clash between Mexico and Cuba, the final two teams to get their 2015 Gold Cup campaigns underway.
That, as you'll see, is in fact a 4-4-2. Miguel Herrera has strayed from his usual 5-3-2 following the injury to Moreno and decided to replace the center back by adding another midfielder (in this case, Jonathan dos Santos).
In a cherished Gold Cup tradition, Cuba is fielding a drastically depleted roster for this one. Six players and the head coach are still back in Cuba because of visa issues, and one player is believed to have already defected.
Here are the 11 Cuba players who did manage to get to Soldier Field tonight and crack the starting lineup: D. Guerra; Napoles, Clavelo, Marquez, Dranguet, Corrales; Martinez, Lopez, F. Guerra, Gomez; Coroneaux
Soldier Field in Chicago is the venue for tonight's match, which sees El Tri begin their pursuit of a seventh Gold Cup crown. Mexico is fresh off a group stage exit at the Copa America, where Miguel Herrera brought a B team. Now the stars are back for Mexico — well, most of them. Hector Moreno and Javier Hernandez, of course, are both sidelined for the tournament because of injury.
Here is the starting lineup for Mexico: Ochoa; Aguilar, Rodriguez, Reyes, Layun; Herrera, Vazquez, J. Dos Santos, Guardado; Vela, Peralta
The teams have now emerged from the tunnel, and we're about to hear the national anthems.
We've heard the anthems, the players are shaking hands and we're moments from kickoff.
So a half with four goals in it has five seconds of stoppage time. We'll be back for the second frame shortly.
Commentary
More…