A tricky first game for the defending champions, West Ham United midfielder Edson Álvarez and his Mexico national team opened their account at the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a very narrow victory against tournament debutants Dominican Republic.
Favourites to lift the trophy for a record-extending tenth time, Mexico carry the weight of expectation into every match, but with 122 places separating the two sides in the FIFA rankings, both supporters and the Mexican media demanded more than just a win.
It took 44 minutes for El Tri to break the deadlock against stubborn opponents, and it was captain Álvarez who led by example, rising at the near post to head home from a corner.
¡Cabezazo para abrir el marcador a favor de México! ⚽ pic.twitter.com/WO83v2gs7O
— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) June 15, 2025
Álvarez marked the moment with by celebrating with the many Mexico supporters in attendance, kissing the badge and pointing toward the stands at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Just two minutes after the restart, Raúl Jiménez of Fulham doubled Mexico’s lead. But the Dominican Republic responded almost immediately through Getafe’s Peter González, who netted his country’s first-ever goal at a major tournament. Moments later, Álvarez appeared to score his second, again from a corner, but it was ultimately credited to César Montes, who profited from the captain’s ricocheted header. Álvarez, the game's Man of the Match, settled for the assist.
Edson Álvarez fue elegido por los Incondicionales como el #JugadorDelPartido de nuestro debut contra República Dominicana. 👊#PorMéxicoTodo 💚🤍❤️ pic.twitter.com/4b3XHSxlyN
— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) June 15, 2025
The final half an hour is what troubled the Mexican footballing contingent the most, as Dominican Republic gave the tournament’s highest seeds a run for their money. Edison Azcona of USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights brought the Dominicans within one, and they played a brave final half-hour, matching the defending champions stride for stride and going close to finding an equaliser.
“Honestly, I’m not sure if the third goal was mine," said Álvarez. "What matters most is the team’s win. It wasn’t the performance we wanted, but it’s part of the process, part of what we need to learn and improve. I’m happy with the three points. We have to keep going.
“In the end, the win didn’t taste quite right. We made some very childish mistakes. We’ll turn the page, look at what we did well and what needs fixing for the next one.”
Mexico continue their title defence against Suriname at 3am BST on Thursday in Arlington, Texas. Just two places above the Dominican Republic in the FIFA rankings, Suriname nearly pulled off a shock of their own, coming from two goals down to lead 3-2 against 54th-ranked Costa Rica, only to concede twice late on in a thrilling Group A opener.
