Mexico (National Football)

Miguel Herrera is out as manager of the Mexican national team a day after a reported confrontation in which he allegedly punched a television reporter.

ESPN FC reported the move Tuesday, after the Mexican Football Federation held a meeting regarding the matter. The firing comes just two days after El Tri defeated Jamaica to win the Gold Cup championship.

John Sutcliffe of ESPN initially confirmed the Mexican Football Federation made the decision to let Herrera go as a result of the incident.

A report from ESPN FC stated that Christian Martinoli of TV Azteca accused Herrera, 47, of an assault while at the airport following Mexico's triumph in Philadelphia. Airport officials said security cameras didn't capture the alleged incident.

"The behavior of the manager of the national team is strange to us and worries us enormously," TV Azteca said in a statement. "The federation shouldn't allow attacks like that suffered by our partner Christian Martinoli at the hands of Mr. Herrera.

"Our country needs brave journalists, who are able to share their opinions and who enjoy the freedom of doing so without being attacked," the statement said. "Mexico needs more liberty, more public debate and less violence."

The highly energetic Herrera already found himself on the hot seat heading into the CONCACAF tournament after a string of poor results. The side had bowed out of Copa America without a victory, which raised the pressure level despite them not fielding their "A" squad.

El Tri responded by winning the Gold Cup, but not without controversy. All three of their goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds came via penalty kicks. The officials' questionable decisions played a vital role in helping a Mexican side that wasn't playing its best to win the title anyway.

The trophy should have allowed Herrera to earn some rare job security. Instead, the Mexican Football Federation decided it needed to let him go after the incident.

With World Cup qualifying approaching, Alexi Lalas of Fox Sports was confident the national team could rebound from Herrera's dismissal:

I love Herrera. But his firing means someone new could come in and easily correct #ElTri’s deficiencies before October 9th & WCQ.

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 28, 2015

Herrera provided much-needed stability for El Tri after taking over in October of 2013. The team had rotated through three managers in a month before he stepped in to help them secure a World Cup berth, and they eventually advanced to the Round of 16 in the top international event last summer.

With Herrera out as manager, ESPN FC's Tom Marshall weighed in on the future of the position:

There is no obvious option to take over. Names like Atlas' Gustavo Matosas, Santos Laguna's Pedro Caixinha, Tigres' Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti will be floated and they all have their merits. The most worthy candidate remains Vucetich, while the possibility of attracting a big foreign name like Marseille's Marcelo Bielsa or Chile's Jorge Sampaoli is more distant, but shouldn't be completely ruled out given the money the FMF has at its disposal.

Now the manager search begins once again for Mexico.

Mexico manager Miguel Herrera reportedly punched a journalist just hours after his team beat Jamaica 3-1 in the Gold Cup final. According to John Sutcliffe of ESPN Deportes, he has since been fired as manager.

According to AS Mexico (h/t Seth Vertelney of Goal), the victim of the apparent attack was Christian Martinoli of TV Azteca, and the incident occurred at Philadelphia airport on Monday, just a day after their triumph. Tom Marshall of ESPN shared reports on his Twitter feed:

Mexican journalist @medranoazteca reporting Miguel Herrera hit TV commentator Martinoli in Philly airport this morn. https://t.co/IaOxX75WF8

— Tom Marshall (@mexicoworldcup) July 27, 2015

Per the aforementioned piece, the journalist had apparently been very critical of El Tri’s displays on the way to the Gold Cup final, and tensions were raised when the two men bumped into each other at the airport.

Vertelney’s piece claims that Martinoli told AS Mexico that, “Herrera punched him in the neck, then challenged him to a fight outside.” Another source from AS Mexico quotes Herrera as shouting that the pair should head out of the terminal to “fix this like it should be fixed.”

TV Azteca sent a statement to the FMF, president Justino Compean and team chief Hector Gonzalez Inarritu, via ESPN:

The behavior of the manager of the national team is strange to us and worries us enormously," the statement said. "The federation shouldn't allow attacks like that suffered by our partner Christian Martinoli at the hands of Mr. Herrera.

Our country needs brave journalists, who are able to share their opinions and who enjoy the freedom of doing so without being attacked," the statement said. "Mexico needs more liberty, more public debate and less violence.

El Tri clinched the 2015 Gold Cup, their 10th CONCACAF title overall, with what was their best performance of an otherwise underwhelming tournament, thanks to goals from Andres Guardado, Jesus Corona, and Oribe Peralta.

If reports are true, it would cap off what has been a controversial campaign for Mexico, as they look for a new manager. As noted by Matt Morlidge of the MailOnline, El Tri have been accused of diving, have had dodgy decisions go their way and, according to Joe Prince-Wright of ProSoccerTalk, the team’s fans threw trash onto the field in their semi-final clash with Panama .

Mexico lifted the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record seventh time on Sunday after outclassing Jamaica with a 3-1 victory in the final at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Captain Andres Guardado and young striker Jesus "Tecatito" Corona starred for El Tri, and coach Miguel Herrera shrugged off intense pressure by making all the right decisions ahead of kickoff.

Any assessment of Mexico at this Gold Cup must begin with Guardado. The 28-year-old midfielder was his team's best player throughout the tournament, and in fact he was by far the best performer at the Gold Cup. 

In the group stage, the PSV Eindhoven man inspired his side with both goals and incisive passing that led to numerous chances. He consistently posed El Tri's most dangerous attacking threat and finished the Gold Cup with six goals, just one behind Golden Boot winner Clint Dempsey.

In every other facet of the game, however, Guardado outperformed Dempsey. It was little surprise, then, that Guardado won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the end, it was an easy decision. No player meant anywhere near as much to his team as Guardado meant to Mexico. 

Even more impressive was the fact that the captain was carrying a minor injury into the final. It hardly showed as Guardado completed more than 60 minutes and scored a golazo with an expert volley in the first half.

Corona scored a fine goal as well, a lethal, opportunistic strike that turned out to be the match-winner. In the 47th minute, with the score 1-0, Corona won possession off Jamaican defender Michael Hector in midfield and immediately set out to attack the goal. Nearing the edge of the area, Tecatito unleashed a low shot that beat Ryan Thompson comfortably and nestled into the bottom corner.

Based on his previous club- and international-level performances, Corona had generated a large amount of hype. Sunday's goal suggested he has the substance to back it up. At 22, Tecatito has the skills to become a massive star.

In four previous appearances at this Gold Cup—all as a substitute—Corona had given Mexico a spark late in matches with his dazzling dribbling and eye-catching attacking skills. Given his first chance to start, Tecatito staked a strong claim to further consideration for the first XI.

That final point should represent a victory for Herrera, who managed Mexico deftly on Sunday. With starting forward Carlos Vela suspended, Herrera selected Corona and watched on as the youngster scored an outstanding goal. And with star midfielder Hector Herrera struggling for form throughout the tournament, El Piojo instead handed a starting berth to Jesus Duenas, who kept El Tri ticking all night in a holding role.

Before and during the tournament, Herrera faced intense pressure to deliver a Gold Cup title. If Mexico had failed to win the tournament—or even performed badly in winning the final—he likely would have lost his job. ESPN Tri provided Herrera's comments regarding Mexico's tournament play:

Miguel Herrera: We erased the bad game against Panama and played well today against a difficult team.

— ESPN FC Mexico (@ESPNFCtri) July 27, 2015

Miguel Herrera: It's just one step. It's one objective accomplished, but there is still the game in October.

— ESPN FC Mexico (@ESPNFCtri) July 27, 2015

Mexico did not always play up to their ability this summer. Notably, El Tri needed questionable refereeing decisions to beat Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, and Panama in the semifinals.

But in their biggest and most important match of the summer, El Tri thoroughly outclassed Jamaica and claimed their seventh Gold Cup title. What more could the fans ask of Herrera and the team?

At ESPN FC, Tom Marshall noted:

"El Piojo" had come out of the tunnel before the match ahead of the players and purposely, it seemed, walked onto the pitch and in front of the goal. He was greeted by cheers from the Mexico fans inside the stadium and raised his arm, clenching his fist in a show of confidence.

It seemed to set the tone as Herrera's players showed on the field that they want him to continue. After all the talk, Mexico finally produced this Gold Cup and no-one will be more relieved than Herrera, who had stressed that his side was "obligated" to win it.

Mexico's next big match will come in October. In following with CONCACAF's sometimes odd decision-making, El Tri will have to play the 2013 Gold Cup champions—the United States—in a one-game playoff to determine who will represent CONCACAF in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Lose that match and Herrera might find himself immediately back on the hot seat. For now, though, the Mexican manager should take pride from his team's strong performance in the final.

Follow @MiguelCominguez

Mexico's campaign at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup will culminate in the final on Sunday against Jamaica in Philadelphia. Victory would mean a record seventh continental title for El Tri, who have been under pressure all month to reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2011.

But although reaching a major tournament final would normally imply that Mexico have played well, the opposite has largely been true. Despite staying unbeaten, El Tri have often been unconvincing in attack, defense or both. While the blame should go to the whole team, midfielder Hector Herrera is one individual whose performances have not matched his skill level this summer.

Before the tournament, Cesar Hernandez argued at MLSSoccer.com that Herrera, at his best, "is arguably the best player in North America." So what has happened to the talented 25-year-old midfielder during the Gold Cup?

As Mexico started the tournament, manager Miguel "El Piojo" Herrera deployed his team in a 4-4-2 formation. He did so out of necessity following an injury to key center back Hector Moreno. In the four-man midfield, Hector Herrera played out wide on the right, a position that limited his ability to create opportunities for his teammates and break down opposing defenses.

He improved somewhat in the next game, a wild 4-4 draw with Trinidad and Tobago. But in the first two knockout-stage matches against Costa Rica and Panama, Herrera's influence paled in comparison to that of captain Andres Guardado. 

Without an effective Herrera in midfield, Mexico suffered. El Tri were unable to create much danger against Panama for the 90 minutes of regular time and needed a controversial penalty decision to send the match to extra time. El Piojo vented his frustration afterward, telling Reuters: "The fact is we didn't deserve to win the match because we didn't play at all well."

Fortunately for Mexico, Wednesday's performance against Panama should have no bearing on Sunday's final against Jamaica. Despite playing poorly, El Tri need only one more win to claim the title. Similarly, Herrera has a chance to redeem himself after a disappointing tournament with a strong showing in Philadelphia.

There's no doubting his talent. During the 2013-14 season, his second with Portuguese giants Porto, Herrera excelled in his preferred central-midfield position, helping his side reach the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.

After Herrera reportedly drew interest from Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, Porto reportedly held firm to their €40 million valuation of the midfielder, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via ESPN FC). (Transfermarkt places Herrera's market value at €16.5 million and rising.)

When he plays his best, Herrera is certainly one of Mexico's—and CONCACAF's—top players. So far at the Gold Cup, the 25-year-old midfielder has not lived up to that billing, but the final will provide a perfect opportunity to do so at an ideal time for El Tri.

Follow @MiguelCominguez

After Wednesday night's controversial victory over Panama in Atlanta, Mexico stands just one win away from claiming a record seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title. Under normal circumstances, that would be cause for celebration. However, the feeling surrounding this team seems more consistent with a side in the midst of ongoing struggles.

Somewhat paradoxically, that's exactly the case for El Tri. Despite staying unbeaten on the way to the Gold Cup final, Mexico has played well only in patches, and the team's match against Panama marked its worst performance of the tournament.

That match saw the Canaleros reduced to 10 men in the first half, as American referee Mark Geiger controversially sent off Luis Tejada. But even with their numerical disadvantage, Panama managed to take the lead in the second half, thanks to Roman Torres, and nearly saw out the win over 90 minutes. 

But Geiger intervened again shortly before full time, generously awarding Mexico a penalty for a handball on Torres. Both decisions incensed Panama, and the second led to El Tri's equalizer via Andres Guardado's spot kick. Guardado then won it with another penalty—which seemed more legit—in extra time.

After the match, Mexico coach Miguel Herrera spoke bluntly about the controversy and his side's performance. According to Reuters, he said:

The first (spot kick) was not a penalty but that's not my fault, the fact is we didn't deserve to win the match because we didn't play at all well.

That's football and it's not ideal. The first wasn't a penalty but the chance fell to us and we made the most of the circumstances (but) we're quite bothered to have won in this manner, playing badly.

Herrera might be bothered about his side's performance against Panama, but he won't be bothered about where the win put Mexico.

El Piojo has faced pressure all summer to deliver a Gold Cup title, especially after a different-looking El Tri side couldn't make an impression at the Copa America in June. Apart from a 6-0 thrashing of Cuba in the opener, Mexico has not played particularly well at the Gold Cup—even though it is now on the verge of winning it. 

Even in that match against Cuba, El Tri probably should have scored more goals. The offense struggled in a scoreless draw with Guatemala after that, and the defense was exposed by Trinidad and Tobago in a thrilling 4-4 stalemate.

Mexico played better football in the quarterfinals against Costa Rica, but finishing was a problem. In that game, another controversial penalty—this one in stoppage time of the second half of extra time—rescued Herrera's men. 

Tom Marshall of ESPN FC summed up Mexico's performance so far at the tournament:

Putting all the controversy to one side, Mexico is not playing well and is having a poor summer, despite reaching the Gold Cup final with every chance of defeating Jamaica on Sunday.

El Tri have enjoyed a lot of luck so far and hasn't shown much in terms of positivity on the field. The poor performance against Panama wasn't expected, especially after Mexico had improved in the quarter against Costa Rica.

To this point in the tournament, Mexico has not produced a good all-around performance over 90 minutes. Whether it's linking play, defense or finishing, each game has included at least one glaring deficiency in El Tri's performance.

That has produced an unusual feeling around the team ahead of the final, which would normally prompt optimism and confidence. But even after struggling for much of the tournament, Mexico now has a chance to put all of that in the past and beat Jamaica in the final.

Doing so would give the fans reason to celebrate, but considering the way his team has played this summer, Herrera might just remain on the hot seat.

Follow @MiguelCominguez.

Panamanian newspaper Critica produced an expletive-laden front page after Mexico were awarded two highly controversial penalties in the countries' CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-final in Atlanta.

Warning: The following image contains profanity.

Panamanian daily @CriticaPa clearly not happy with referee Mark Geiger's performance in last nights #GoldCup game pic.twitter.com/FMMOzWSliS

— AS English (@English_AS) July 23, 2015

Roman Torres gave Panama an early second-half lead, but the controversy started when American referee Mark Geiger adjudged that Torres had handled when he fell on the ball in the box. Andres Guardado drew the sides level with the resulting penalty.

Penalty #2 for Mexico tonight. 3 straight PK goals in this #GoldCup. #MEXvPAN pic.twitter.com/G4LJ0VKuSq

— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) July 23, 2015

 The Panama players and fans reacted furiously to the decision. Their anger was compounded when Geiger awarded a second soft penalty in extra time after Harold Cummings was judged to have unlawfully taken down Javier Orozco. Guardado again scored the penalty and sent Mexico into the final.

Penalty #2 for Mexico tonight. 3 straight PK goals in this #GoldCup. #MEXvPAN pic.twitter.com/G4LJ0VKuSq

— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) July 23, 2015

Panama later posted a picture of the team holding a banner with the words "CONCACAF cheaters."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gZw6kxs83A

It's the second time in consecutive games that Mexico have progressed as a result of a controversial penalty decision. Costa Rica's Roy Miller was perceived to have fouled Oribe Peralta in the box with seconds remaining in their quarter-final.

122nd minute penalty call for Mexico #soccer http://t.co/16a4g7R0lv

— Score Soccer (@scoresoccer) July 20, 2015

Mexico will face Jamaica in the final in Philadelphia on Saturday.

For a region marred by low officiating standards and corruption, Wednesday's debacle at the Georgia Dome put CONCACAF at a new low as Mexico advanced to the 2015 Gold Cup final in extra time with a 2-1 win over Panama. 

After yet another porous start, Miguel Herrera's side was handed a stroke of luck in the 25th minute, when Panama striker Luis Tejada was wrongfully sent off for what American referee Mark Geiger viewed as an apparent elbow to the head of Francisco "Maza" Rodriguez. 

As we have come to expect from El Tri at the Gold Cup, they underwhelmed with the man advantage. Carlos Vela, who was supposed to light the net on fire with his scoring prowess once Javier Hernandez was declared out for the tournament with a broken collarbone, put together yet another dubious night in the final third. The Real Sociedad man could only muster two shots—both off target—during his 120 minutes on the pitch.

But he wasn't the only Mexico star who played poorly in a must-win match for Herrera's squad, especially after the United States crashed out in the first semi-final of the night. 

Hector Herrera entered the competition as one of the top players in the North American region, but he once again failed to deliver for an El Tri side that gets more uninspiring by the match. The Porto midfielder lasted all of 59 minutes before he was lifted in favor of Jesus Manuel Corona. 

Corona and half-time substitute Carlos Esquivel provided Mexico with the required spark in the latter stages of the quarter-final win over Costa Rica, but neither made huge contributions to the El Tri attack on Wednesday. 

Two minutes before Corona entered and light years before all hell broke loose at the Georgia Dome, Panama took the lead by way of captain Roman Torres. The vocal leader of Panama headed in a goal that at the time seemed to put Hernan Dario Gomez's team into Sunday's final. 

With the stage set for a Jamaica versus Panama final and a rivalry clash in the third-place game between the United States and Mexico, El Tri were once again saved by the referee's whistle. This time around, it was Geiger, who had an overall shocking performance, handing Mexico an undeserved lifeline late in the second half. 

In the 89th minute, Torres fell to the ground on the right side of the penalty area with the ball flying in his direction. The ball lodged in between Torres' side and left elbow as Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo raced out to cover up. Before Penedo had a chance to end the play, Geiger called for a penalty. Miguel Herrera said in his post-match press conference it was a bad call, per Fox Sports' Kyle McCarthy: 

Miguel Herrera pretty clear: He didn't think the first penalty was a penalty. #GoldCup

— Kyle McCarthy (@kylejmccarthy) July 23, 2015

What followed was a deplorable set of actions from the Mexico fans behind the Panama bench. They littered the area around the Panama bench with projectiles from the stands. Players and coaches tried to sort out the situation while Geiger stood around dumbfounded, wondering what was going on around him.

Due to the incompetent nature of Geiger, the melee in front of the benches lasted over 10 minutes before Mexico captain Andres Guardado stepped to the spot to take the penalty in stoppage time. Guardado admitted after the match that he thought about missing the penalty, per CBSSports' Roger Gonzalez: 

"I thought about it," Guardado said. "But one has to be professional."

— Roger Gonzalez (@RGonzalezCBS) July 23, 2015

The fact that Guardado even considered missing the spot kick shows how much displeasure there was with the call. The El Tri captain, who put in one of the better performances of the match for his side, told Fox Sports 2 after the win that he didn't feel like celebrating the equalizer: 

Andres Guardado on Fox Sports 2: "I didn't celebrate, because that penalty call left me w/ a bad taste" #GoldCup pic.twitter.com/oPnQN5a69U

— Francisco X. Rivera (@FX_Rivera) July 23, 2015

In addition to dealing with the poor call on Wednesday night, Mexico were still getting over the criticism of how they reached the final four of the competition. In the 122nd minute of the quarter-final against Costa Rica, Oribe Peralta was wrongly awarded a penalty after falling down in front of the Costa Rica net. 

Given the recent allegations against the leaders in CONCACAF and the potential income a one-game play-off between the United States and Mexico for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup berth would produce, it at least sparks the question of whether some sort of corruption has been involved in the competition. 

Gomez was rightfully angry after the match, per Steven Goff of the Washington Post:

https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/624072085665677313

The one decision Geiger actually got right on Wednesday night should not have happened if he had correctly ruled on the Torres play in the 89th minute. Mexico substitute Javier Orozco collided with a pair of Panama defenders in the box and earned the second penalty of the night in the 103rd minute.

Guardado once again stepped to the spot and slotted in his second goal of the night to clinch Mexico's place in Sunday's final against Jamaica. Credit must be given to the Mexico captain for his poise on the pair of penalties against Penedo, who is one of the better penalty-stoppers in CONCACAF and MLS. Guardado smartly went left with his second penalty after scoring with a shot that went into the right part of the net to equalize the game. 

Despite the poise shown by Guardado in a key moment for Mexico, the primary talking point from the semi-final contest was the poor officiating that marred what looked to be a heroic performance by 10-man Panama.

Instead, Gomez and his squad will try to recover from yet another bout of disappointment and line up for the third-place game against the United States. The Yanks knocked Panama out of World Cup qualifying on the final day in 2013—keeping Mexico's 2014 World Cup hopes alive—through two late goals in Panama City. 

Jon Arnold noted Gomez's message to fans about the next World Cup:

Gomez ends a message to the fans with: We’re going to the World Cup, we’re going to work with everything we have to get to the World Cup.

— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) July 23, 2015

It is easy to feel sympathetic for Panama, but unfortunately, what's done is done. Mexico are into the Gold Cup final and now have to find a way to play well for 90 minutes against a Jamaica side that will challenge them. 

Hopefully by the time Sunday rolls around, we can talk about a great continental final between two electric attacking sides. But for now, the dark shadow of Wednesday's second semi-final will loom over the region.

Joe Tansey is covering the Gold Cup for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

In the moment of Mexico's greatest need, it was only fitting that Andres Guardado had the ball at his feet. And considering the way he has performed for El Tri in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, it was no surprise when the captain shrugged off the pressure and scored the winning goal.

The setting was a packed MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the situation was a potentially match-deciding penalty kick for Mexico in stoppage time of extra time. After more than 120 minutes of scoreless soccer, the partisan fans in the stands were growing restless for something to celebrate. And after a series of uninspiring displays during the tournament, both Mexico and coach Miguel Herrera were feeling immense pressure to defeat Costa Rica.

But Guardado apparently felt no pressure at all. Ignoring the controversy surrounding the referee's dodgy decision to award the penalty, the 28-year-old midfielder swept in an unstoppable spot kick to give his side a 1-0 victory. 

"I knew I had to take the responsibility. The group was confident in me," Guardado told Univision (h/t Jon Arnold at Goal.com). "They're the type of decisions you take in a second, and fortunately everything went well."

Until then, it hadn't been pretty. Mexico had missed several opportunities to score and needed a questionable penalty decision to secure the tightest of wins. But with Costa Rica beaten, El Tri can now look forward to building momentum ahead of the semifinals and easing the pressure on both themselves and Herrera.

And for that, they have Guardado to thank. Which is little surprise—"El Principito" has been Mexico's best player throughout the Gold Cup.

Sunday's match highlighted the point nicely. Guardado came close to scoring with a blazing shot from outside the box in the 37th minute, a blast reminiscent of his outstanding goal against Trinidad and Tobago.

And while Mexico were unable to score before the closing seconds of extra time, it wasn't for a lack of chances. Starting attack after attack by spraying precisely weighted passes all over the field, Guardado served as his side's chief creator throughout the game. If teammates Carlos Vela and Oribe Peralta had finished better, Guardado might have finished the night with a hatful of assists.

That's been a running theme during this tournament for Mexico. While Guardado has excelled in the captain's role, other stars like Vela, Peralta and Hector Herrera have not fully impressed. With key contributors Javier Hernandez and Hector Moreno injured, Guardado's importance to the squad has been magnified further. And as the tournament progresses, El Tri will only need him more.

But that's a responsibility he can handle. After helping PSV Eindhoven to the Dutch title this past club season, Guardado was named the Eredivisie's player of the year, as reported by Fox Sports. If he continues to shine in his role as captain, he seems like a lock to take the armband full-time, as Tom Marshall noted at ESPN FC:

For a player who, before the World Cup last year had no guarantee of being a starter in the national team, it has been a great last 13 months. Guardado has won the Eredivisie having been a key player last season for PSV and is now on course to captain Mexico at Russia 2018.

In the meantime, the icing on the cake for Guardado would be lifting the Gold Cup next Sunday in Philadelphia. Such a success would consolidate his status as the successor to Rafa Marquez as El Tri's permanent captain.

First, though, Mexico will have to advance past Panama in Wednesday's semifinal. The Canaleros put El Tri out of the competition at the same stage in 2013 and will be looking for another upset in Atlanta.

But with the dependable and creative Guardado leading the way, Mexico will have a solid foundation on which to build another victory.

Follow @MiguelCominguez

As the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup grew closer to its opening match, the anticipation grew in regard to how much Carlos Vela would help Mexico in the tournament. 

But after his exploits against Costa Rica in Mexico's quarter-final win on Sunday, there are concerns about the Real Sociedad player's finishing ability. Of the four shots he attempted during his 86-minute shift, Vela only put one of them on target. 

Vela's biggest blunder came in the 67th minute, when he skied an attempt over the bar on an impressive counter Andres Guardado started. The miss came at a vital time in the match as El Tri tried to finish off the Ticos before the possibility of extra time crept into the match. World Soccer Talk highlighted Guardado's "picture-perfect long ball":

Guardado with a picture perfect long ball to start the counter but the 2v2 attack ends with a shot off target 67' pic.twitter.com/RApe4eDM8t

— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) July 20, 2015

Due to Vela and his fellow forward Oribe Peralta's inefficiency, El Tri were forced to fight it out until the 122nd minute, when a penalty was called following Peralta's fall to the ground in front of the Costa Rica goal.

Since they were able to escape without facing a penalty shootout, Mexico were able to leave the quarter-final contest with a few positives about their attacking mindset. But it still wasn't good enough, especially Vela's production. 

Vela seemed to be set for a solid tournament when he scored in Mexico's Group C opener against Cuba in the 22nd minute of the 6-0 victory. However, his performance dropped off a bit as the group stage progressed. Vela did net a brilliant strike in the second half of the wild 4-4 draw with Trinidad and Tobago, but if he were in top form, Mexico would have finished off the match when they were up 2-1. 

As Sunday's match at MetLife Stadium started, Vela seemed to have a good grip on how to handle the Costa Rica back line, but despite the electric runs and nice buildup play, the final touch once again escaped Vela. 

Although there are other forwards in the squad to blame for the lack of production up top, Vela shoulders most of it because of his status as one of the top stars in North America. Since his suspension from the national team in 2010, Vela was seen as the missing piece to take Mexico to the promised land. But he continued to turn down offers to return to the national team until current head coach Miguel Herrera called him up again in November. 

By linking up with the squad at the end of 2014, Vela had plenty of time to assimilate back into the team before the high-stakes Gold Cup came around in July 2015. A Mexico victory in the tournament would hand them a one-game play-off against the United States for the CONCACAF berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. With Vela leading the line alongside Javier Hernandez and Giovani Dos Santos, El Tri were expected to contend for the title. 

But now with Hernandez out with a broken collarbone and Dos Santos dealing with a thigh problem, the pressure is squarely on Vela's shoulders to be the star of the Mexico team. But that hasn't happened just yet for the 26-year-old. 

The good news for Vela is he has two more chances to prove his worth as the top attacker in the Mexico side. A tired Panama squad may present the best opportunity to work his way into top scoring form before the expected rivalry clash with the United States appears on July 26 in Philadelphia. 

However, based on his Gold Cup scoring, the expectations may be lowered for Vela to thrive. After putting four of his six attempts on target in the 6-0 win over Cuba, Vela became wasteful in front of net. He failed to send any of his four shots in the direction of the net in the 0-0 draw with Guatemala, while his goal against Trinidad and Tobago marked the only time he challenged the goalkeeper. Fox Soccer noted Vela was instrumental in increasing Mexico's lead:

Mexico add to their lead over Trinidad and Tobago thanks to Carlos Vela. #GoldCup2015. http://t.co/Yrb9QqSz3y

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 16, 2015

If he is able to embrace the pressure of being Mexico's top scorer and be more efficient in the final third, Vela has the potential to bring the Gold Cup back to El Tri. But if he doesn't do that in the next two matches, he and the rest of his teammates may be looked upon as failures. 

Joe Tansey is covering the Gold Cup for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Mexico survived to live another day in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup after advancing by way of a fortuitous penalty call in the 122nd minute against Costa Rica. 

Although they did look the better side for most of the quarter-final contest, El Tri followed a haunting trend that has marred them over the first four games of the competition. Mexico dominated the possession battle and the number of chances, but once again they were extremely wasteful in the final third. 

The starting forward pair of Oribe Peralta and Carlos Vela put together a highlight reel worth of awful misses during their time on the pitch. Of the 16 shots attempted by El Tri, seven went on target. When they came near the target, they either found the body of Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado or soared the chances high and wide. 

However, Peralta did earn the game-winning penalty in the waning seconds of extra time, when he went to ground after apparent contact with Roy Miller. The replays showed little to no contact was made in front of the Costa Rica net. 

Have a look for yourself: Controversial penalty awarded to Mexico in extra time. #GoldCup2015 http://t.co/CoIIdlCPS4

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 20, 2015

Most will argue Mexico were bailed out by the referee, but some will also say they deserved to come out on top because of how they handled Costa Rica, especially after the start of the second half. 

"In the first half, Costa Rica played well. We had to control more of the ball and create more goal opportunities," Mexico boss Miguel Herrera said of his approach in the second half. 

Just like any team in a major competition, the goal is to get better with every game, and El Tri did improve in some aspects. But when the main title rival of Herrera's team scored six against Cuba in its quarter-final, the comparisons are hard to escape.

Yes, Mexico have the tougher draw, but as the other favorite alongside the United States entering the Gold Cup, they have not lived up to expectations yet. 

Instead of instilling their status as a favorite to win the title, Mexico once again stumbled through a match and almost let the unpredictable fate of a penalty shootout decide their fortune. 

Now El Tri are set to take on Panama in the semi-final round on Wednesday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Despite the shortcomings in the finishing department, there are some positives to take out of the match for Herrera. 

His changes, starting with the entrance of Carlos Esquivel in the 61st minute for Hector Herrera, seemed to make a difference. Within five minutes of entering the field, Esquivel created two chances in front of goal. Unfortunately, he hit the top of the crossbar in the 64th minute and put an attempt over the net in the 66th minute. 

In the 81st minute, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona came on for Vela, who had countless opportunities to finish the match in regulation, including one in the 69th minute that he missed on a brilliant counter.

Corona entered the match with an exciting burst of energy, but he brought too much razzle dazzle to the pitch instead of the creation of chances. If Herrera can hone Corona's talent in the right fashion over the next few days in training, he should be able to get an even more impressive shift off the bench out of him against Panama. 

The two who came in were great. Corona and Esquivel have been very important. They have been doing what they need do," Herrera said of the performances of his first two substitutes. 

El Tri also drew another strike of luck since Panama went to penalties against Trinidad and Tobago in the first semi-final match of the day at MetLife Stadium. Since both teams are facing the same set of circumstances, the only way fitness will play a role in Wednesday's contest is in the form of unused players or substitutes, which is where Mexico may benefit from Corona or Giovani Dos Santos the most. 

This specific situation could help Mexico if Dos Santos is healthy. The dynamic LA Galaxy attacker attempted to warm up on Sunday but felt discomfort in his thigh in the process. 

"We wanted to see how he felt. I told him to warm up as if he was about to go into the game. He did not feel confident and that's why he went back to the bench," Herrera said of Dos Santos' status. "If he's 100 percent [for the semi-final], there's no doubt he will go in."

One department in which Mexico hold a major advantage is talent. If the likes of Peralta and Vela can find a way to turn into the scorers they should be, Mexico could run all over Panama and into the July 26 final at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. 

Based on what we've seen so far at the Gold Cup, it is hard to believe El Tri have the best collection of forwards in North America, but all it takes is one game to change the perception around a group of talented players. 

Joe Tansey is covering the Gold Cup for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.