Football Tips: Our perfect hat-trick of best bets for USA v Mexico Gold Cup Final

USA and Mexico? Fancy seeing you here again. Our tipster Shane O'Brien guides you through the Gold Cup Final.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Rarely has a Gold Cup final inspired less enthusiasm. With America leaving their best players at home for the Gold Cup and Mexico sending their most promising young players to the Olympics, Monday morning’s final will not rival the Euro 2020 final for viewing figures.

NEW TO PADDY POWER?

However, it is a chance for this domestic-based American side to reclaim the Gold Cup from their near neighbours, who pipped them in the 2019 final. The USA and Mexico have shared the last ten Gold Cups, winning five apiece, and have contested five of the last eight finals.

USA to win

It is exceedingly difficult to split the teams ahead of Monday morning’s decider, but America have been arguably more convincing during the tournament so far. The USA have won all five of their games at the Gold Cup this summer, winning 1-0 on four separate occasions, although they needed late winners to beat Jamaica in the quarter-finals and North American powerhouse Qatar in the semi-finals.

Monday 1.30am: USA v Mexico
Premier Sports 1

Mexico, on the other hand, drew a blank in their tournament opener against Trinidad and Tobago and squeezed by Canada in the semi-finals thanks to a winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time. I think we’ll see USA Win in the 90.

Both teams to score? No

Clean sheets have been the foundation of the USA’s run to the final. Gregg Berhalter’s side have conceded just one goal in five games at the Gold Cup this summer – bizarrely against a Martinique side that doesn’t even qualify for a FIFA World Rankings.

That one blot aside, however, the USA’s defence has proved impregnable throughout the tournament, keeping four clean sheets in four games as Berhalter’s side booked a place in Monday morning’s final. Mexico, on the other hand, have been far more adventurous than their neighbours but did fail to score against a Trinidad and Tobago side ranked 103 in the world.

The USA will hope to similarly frustrate Mexico on Monday morning and replicate the winning formula that has been so successful during the tournament. Both Teams To Score? No feels like a good play here.

USA to win 1-0

In the absence of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna, and other top-level US players based in Europe, Berhalter’s side have been decidedly ordinary in attack throughout the Gold Cup (except for the 6-1 demolition of Martinique). Goals have been few and far between, while goalscoring opportunities have also not been forthcoming.

Only Daryl Dike and Gyasi Zardes have scored more than one goal for the US at the tournament, with Zardes becoming the only American player to score in more than one game when he netted late on against Qatar. Berhalter’s side clearly lack the dynamism of Pulisic, McKennie, and Reyna, who all scored in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico last month.

It will be tricky to record victory in Monday’s final in the absence of players of such pedigree, but Mexico are also missing key players due to the Olympics, while star forward Hirving Lozano misses out through injury. Lozano’s absence makes America’s task a whole lot less daunting and they may just reclaim the trophy they lost two years ago 1-0 inside the 90 as they build towards FIFA World Cup qualification.

For the braver punters, Gyasi Zardes to score first and the USA to win 1-0 may be worth a shot. Zardes has scored twice after being sprung from the bench at the Gold Cup and with the USA scoring dramatic winners inside the last ten minutes of each of their knockout games at the tournament, he may just prove to be their hero once more.

USA v Mexico Tips

USA to win
Both teams to score? No
USA to win 1-0

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

READ MORE:

The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com right now

The Paddy Power Guide To Responsible Gambling – Everything You Need To Know