Face-Off for the Finals: Mexico vs Canada in the Concacaf Nations League

Javier Aguirre starts the match with both his forwards: Santi Gimenez and Raúl Jiménez.

In a high-stakes showdown, Canada and Mexico are set to face off at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, vying for a spot in the grand finale of the Concacaf Nations League. Coaches Javier Aguirre and Jesse Marsch are expected to field their best line-ups for this critical clash.

Aguirre, renowned as ‘El Vasco,’ will have an impressive lineup featuring Mexican stars playing abroad, including Santiago Giménez, Julián Quiñones, and Raúl Jiménez. Despite the formidable squad, Aguirre emphasized in a press conference that securing a place in the final won’t be a walk in the park and stressed the need to deliver a stellar performance against Canada.

“We need to play a perfect game—Mexico is ready to defeat Canada, but they will fight for their own objectives. If we stick to our game plan, we’ll secure a spot in the final; the aim is to win it. Football is full of unpredictable elements, but looking at the team, I asked them if they’re prepared to overturn this situation,” remarked Javier.

Meanwhile, Jesse Marsch expressed caution, noting that they don’t consider themselves favorites against Mexico. However, he pointed out that the team’s development has reached a level where they can compete fiercely and entertain aspirations of clinching the Nations League title.

“We’re not there yet. Are we favorites against a strong Mexican team? It’s speculation. But our players’ confidence has matured. The psychological profile of this project isn’t just about building self-belief anymore; it’s a pivotal moment to gauge our readiness to excel under important circumstances like this,” Marsch stated.

Lineups for Mexico and Canada:

Canada: Dayne St. Clair; Ismaël Koné, Moise Bombito, Derek Cornelius, Alphonso Davies, Alistair Johnston, Stephen Eustaquio, Tajon Buchanan, Jonathan Osorio, Jacob Shaffelburg, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan David, and Cyle Larin.

Mexico: Luis Malagón; Israel Reyes, Edson Álvarez, Johan Vásquez, Jesús Gallardo; Erik Lira, Carlos Rodríguez; Alexis Vega, Roberto Alvarado, Santiago Giménez, and Raúl Jiménez.

The clash between the Mexican national team and Canada will take place this Thursday, March 20, at 8:30 PM CDT, 10:30 PM EST. In Mexico, the match will be broadcast on TUDN, while viewers in the USA can catch the action on TUDN and Univision.