Mexico 2:1 Russia
New Zealand 0:4 Portugal
Portugal and Mexico advance to the semifinals.
I like that it is 23 guys with something to prove. Not one guy on this roster would be in the starting XI if the World Cup was this summer. I just wish there were more youth players from Europe on it. IMO there isn't much need for old MLS guys in the Gold Cup. You already know what they are capable of. Give more youth a chance and they might surprise or at the minimum they will earn valuable experience.
The 2 biggest things to watch for IMO.....
-Kenny Saief. He choose the USA over Israel and this is the first time he will be back in the US since he was 3 years old. He plays for Gent who was in the UCL and Europa last year (they beat Spurs 3-2 on aggregate) and he is one of their best players. I've never watched him play before so I am very excited. He can play left back and left wing similar to Fabian Johnson. My hope is he plays well in the Gold Cup and him and Fabian control the left in Russia next summer.
-Acosta and Roldan in midfield. These 2 are expected to be paired up in central midfield. Both are only 21 years old and hopefully this a good step towards getting rid of the aging Bradley and Jones midfield.
I like how McCarty and Dwyer played against Ghana and interested to see Agudelo. He is running out of chances. I think Acosta has bright future as well