Two Concacaf powerhouses will square off tomorrow, Saturday, July 8, for a place in the semi-final of the 2023 Gold Cup competition, as Mexico and Costa Rica go head-to-head. Then on Sunday, Gold Cup favourites Jamaica will aim to continue their relentless march to the title when they face surprise team Guatemala.

Event # 1 – Gold Cup – Mexico vs Costa Rica – 8:30 PM

Along with the USA, Mexico and Costa Rica have been the only Concacaf teams to consistently qualify for the World Cup. Indeed, Mexico have appeared in the last eight, while Costa have qualified for the last three. With that said, both sides will square off in an eagerly anticipated clash to move one step closer to the title. Mexico bounced back from a disappointing Concacaf Nations League campaign to beat Honduras 4-0 in their opening game of the Gold Cup, they then went on to beat Haiti 3-1 before losing 0-1 to guest team Qatar, having already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition.

Costa Rica have been inconsistent over the last few months, and they duly opened their Gold Cup campaign with an uninspired 2-1 loss to Panama. They were even more disjointed in their next game against El Salvador eventually playing out a dull 0-0 draw. Los Ticos, Costa Rica, entered their final group game against Martinique needing a big win to secure a knockout spot. The Costa Ricans duly obliged but not before enduring a nervy finish to a match they were leading 5-1 before Martinique rallied with some late goals but the Costa Ricans managed to win 6-4 to seal second place in the group and book a quarter-final spot.

Key Stats

Mexico – Mexico have now qualified for a 13th-straight Gold Cup knockout stage and have won a record eight Gold Cup titles.

Costa Rica – Costa Rica have scored seven goals in their last three matches in all competitions. However, they have conceded nine goals in their last four overall matches.

Both sides – Mexico are unbeaten in their last nine matches against Costa Rica in all competitions. Indeed, during these nine matches head-to-head meetings, Costa Rica are yet to secure a win against the Mexicans.

The betting Tip. Mexico win.

Event # 2 – Gold Cup – Guatemala vs Jamaica – 4:00 PM

Unexpectedly, Guatemala managed to win Gold Cup group D, which included powerhouse side Canada, their prize, a quarter-final clash against the Reggae Boyz for a place in the semi-finals. Having taken the group by surprise, the Guatemalans will be aiming to pull of the biggest shock of the tournament by beating the star-studded Reggae Boyz. With four points from their opening two games, Guatemala knew victory over Guadeloupe would be enough to send them through to the quarter-finals. And, both teams served up a thriller as Guatemala looked down and out for long periods of the match having trailed 2-1 late in the second half. However, they roared back late in the game to go 3-2 up, and lady luck then smiled on them as Guadeloupe missed an 88th-minute penalty for them to secure their spot in the quarter-finals, sending their fans into rapture.

Gold Cup favourites Jamaica will be aiming to continue their excellent run in the tournament with another win against a Guatemala side that no one expected to reach this far. Indeed, the Reggae Boyz, Jamaica, started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against the USA, before winning back-to-back matches against Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Kitts and Nevis to confirm their place in the knockout round, finishing second on goal difference to the USA. The Reggae Boyz team will be brimming with confidence as they are one of the strongest sides at the Gold Cup with the likes of Demarai Gray, who recently switched allegiances from England, Leon Bailey, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Michail Antonio, and Dexter Lemibikisa all parading their skills in the English Premier League.

Key Stats

Guatemala – Guatemala are unbeaten in their last three matches at the Gold Cup and have suffered just three defeats in their last 10 matches in all competitions. This will be Guatemala first quarter-final appearance at the Gold Cup since 2011.

Jamaica – Jamaica are unbeaten in their last three matches at the Gold Cup and have scored 10 goals during this run. The Jamaicans last lost to Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier 2-1 back in 2012, but they have won all four matches against Guatemala in Gold Cup action.

Both sides – In 16 previous meetings between both teams, Jamaica have won 10 times including six wins in their last seven meetings.

The betting Tip. Jamaica win.