ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — No. 103 Trinidad and Tobago held 11th-ranked Mexico to a 0-0 draw Saturday night in the opener of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean region.
Defending champion Mexico outshot the Soca Warriors 30-4 in the Group A match and had a 15-1 advantage in corner kicks. Trinidad did not reach the tourament until beating French Guiana on penalty kicks last week.
Mexico began with six of the starters from last month’s Nations League final loss to the United States: defenders Luis Rodríguez and Néstor Araujo, midfielders Edson Álvarez and Héctor Herrera, and forwards Hirving Lozano and Jesús Corona. They were joined by goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera, defenders Carlos Salcedo and Osvaldo Rodríguez, midfielder Érick Gutiérrez and forward Rogelio Funes Mori.
Lozano took a knee to the head during the first half and was replaced by Efraín Álvarez in the 18th minute.
The other Group A match was postponed a day until Sunday. Curaçao was dropped Friday night because of positive COVID tests and replaced by Guatemala, which will open against El Salador.
The 20th-ranked U.S. plays No. 83 Haiti on Sunday at Kansas City, Kansas, in Group B.
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