Cesar Montes Scores Twice in 6-Minute Span, Mexico Beats Suriname 2-0 to Advance to Gold Cup Knockout Round
Defender Cesar Montes scored twice in a six-minute span in the second half, and defending champion Mexico struggled early but managed to get past Suriname 2–0 on Wednesday night to secure a spot in the knockout round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Montes opened the scoring on a header off a corner kick in the 57th minute and added another goal in the 63rd minute for the Mexicans, who defeated the Dominican Republic 3–2 in the opening match of the tournament. With three goals in the tournament, the 28-year-old defender, who plays for Lokomotiv of Moscow, currently shares the scoring lead with Costa Rican Manfred Ugalde. Montes had scored only once in his 53 previous national team games before the Gold Cup in a friendly match against Panama in June 2021.
With the win, Mexico leads Group A with six points and will play Costa Rica next Sunday in Las Vegas, aiming to secure first place ahead of the second round. The Mexicans lead the group on goal difference and will secure the top spot with a draw. The Costa Ricans defeated the Dominican Republic 2–1 earlier for their second win of the Gold Cup and also qualified for the second round. Suriname and the Dominicans are eliminated. Suriname has lost all four official matches played against Mexico and will try to close the tournament with a win when they play the debutant Dominican Republic next Sunday.
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