Santiago Gimenez Scores Sole Goal to Help Mexico Claim 2023 Gold Cup Title

Santiago Gimenez is being heralded a hero…

The 22-year-old Mexican professional footballer scored the sole goal in Sunday’s 2023 Gold Cup final to help lead Mexico to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Panama.

Santiago GimenezGimenez scored the late winner at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to push Mexico past a resilient Panama side and lift a CONCACAF-record ninth Gold Cup title after Mexico interim manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano‘s side conceded just two goals in the entire tournament.

“With these results, they open opportunities,” said Lozano, who hopes to make his coaching stint permanent, after the match. “Obviously, I would like to be here. Obviously, it would be a dream to lead my national team in a World Cup, and even more in a World Cup where we’ll be the home side.

“If it’s my turn, it’s a dream, it’s a dream. What I’m experiencing now [as interim] is a dream.”

Lozano, hired just days before the start of the Gold Cup, replaced former coach Diego Cocca, who was fired after an embarrassing 3-0 loss to the United States in June’s Nations League Finals.

Mexico Nation's Cup 2023With Lozano in charge, Mexico stormed through the Gold Cup with a four wins and one loss to Qatar after already clinching passage to the knockout stage.

Panama made things difficult in a tight championship match, but following a late surge in the second half from El Tri, Gimenez tallied the sole score in the 85th minute.

Despite his Gold Cup success, Lozano noted that his agreement with the national team lasted only through the end of the tournament.

“I signed a contract for the Gold Cup; I believe that starting now I’m free [to sign with anyone],” Lozano said. “I don’t know if it’s in a few weeks or months, but a decision will need to be made, and from my part, whenever I can help the national team, I’m available.”

His status as an interim also led to a slightly awkward interaction with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Sunday’s medal ceremony. After giving Lozano his medal, Infantino apparently wished the manager good luck in the next World Cup.

“I think Infantino didn’t know that my contract ended here,” Lozano said with a laugh in the postgame news conference.

At the very least for Lozano, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has stated recently that he remains in the running for a permanent position. Earlier in the week, after Mexico had qualified for the Gold Cup final with a triumph over Jamaica, FMF executive president Ivar Sisniega said, “Whatever happens Sunday won’t determine the future of Jimmy Lozano,” as he discussed possible options for the team’s permanent manager.

“Of course, Jimmy should be one of the candidates,” Sisniega added.

Before coaching Mexico’s senior team as an interim, Lozano made a name for himself with a bronze-medal finish with El Tri at the Tokyo Olympics. A strong core of members on the current Gold Cup roster played for Lozano at those Summer Games in 2021, likely leading to his hiring before this tournament.

Mexico’s Gold Cup victory helps it maintain its status as the all-time leader in the tournament. The United States has the second-most titles with seven.

The U.S., Mexico and Canada are joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup.

Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano Named Interim Coach of Mexico’s Senior Men’s National Soccer Team

Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano is filling in…

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has named the 44-year-old Mexican professional football manager and former player as the interim coach of the senior men’s national team.

Jaime "Jimmy" Lozano The announcement came after the FMF on Monday officially dropped Diego Cocca as the national team’s manager after their third-place finish in the Concacaf Nations League.

Cocca, hired in February and fired from his post with a 3-3-1 record, fell below expectations last week after Mexico lost 3-0 to the United States in the Nations League and beat Panama 1-0 in the ensuing third-place game.

“In the last week, I have found many deficiencies,” FMF commissioner president Juan Carlos Rodriguez said in a video on Monday.

“A game against the United States can be lost, there’s always that risk because this is football and the win can go one way or the other. What cannot be accepted was the way in which it happened,” he said.

“This phase has been flawed by the disorder in decision-making, by the lack of processes, rigor, and transparency in appointments, and by a perfect storm in the bad habits that we’ve been dragging for so many years.

“The natural thing to do would be to wait for the end of the Gold Cup, but today we don’t have time to waste. So I inform you that I’ve made the decision to terminate the contract of Diego Martin Cocca and the members of his coaching staff,” Rodriguez said.

He later added that Rodrigo Ares de Parga would also be dropped as executive director of national teams.

The firing of Cocca and Ares de Parga add to the list of ongoing changes at the FMF since last year.

In the past 11 months, and related to just the men’s side, Mexico has made the following changes: the firing of general sporting director Gerardo Torrado and sporting director of national teams Ignacio Hierro; the hiring and eventual exit of Jaime Ordiales as sporting director for men’s national teams; the exit of men’s coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino; the hiring and firing of Ares de Parga as the executive director of national teams; the hiring of Duilio Davino as sporting director of men’s national teams; the hiring and firing of Cocca as the new men’s coach; the exit of former FMF president Yon de Luisa; and the election of Rodriguez as the new FMF president.

Through a recent FMF restructuring last week, Rodriguez transitioned to commission president, while Ivar Sisniega was given the role of executive president.

Following Sunday’s third-place finish in the Nations League, Cocca seemed to hint at his future after stating in a postgame news conference that “there’s a lot of people who want me to leave.”

When asked to be specific, the coach didn’t give any details.

Before leading Mexico in his first international job, the 51-year-old from Argentina made a name for himself through back-to-back Liga MX championships with Atlas in the 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura.

Within Liga MX, he also coached Club Tijuana and Tigres, where he left after just a few months in charge to take the role with Mexico in February.

The former defender previously managed teams in Argentina and Colombia as well.

After being hired by Mexico, Cocca replaced fellow countryman Martino, who walked away from the Mexico role last year after his contract ran out.

He coached El Tri to a disappointing exit in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.

At the upcoming Gold Cup, Lozano will lead Mexico as interim coach in group stage matches against Honduras (June 25), Haiti (June 29) and Qatar (July 2).

On Sunday, Mexico revealed that Chivas forward Alexis Vega will be unavailable for the tournament because of a knee injury.

Lozano led El Tri‘s Olympic squad to a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020.

In Liga MX, he’s had experience as manager of Queretaro and Necaxa.

Frida Kahlo’s Family Authorizes Development of New Stage Work “Frida Kahlo, The Musical”

Frida Kahlo is getting the stage treatment…

The family of the late Mexican artist and legend has authorized the development of Frida, The Musical, a new stage work based on the life story of the groundbreaking 20th Century artist.

Frida Kahlo“Frida still has so much to teach us, and I am thrilled at the chance to honor her life and her work through this most expressive medium,” said producer Valentina Berger in a statement. “Her spirit is very much alive in our young creative team, who continually dazzle me with their big creative swings and mind-bending talent.”

Berger, along with the Frida Kahlo estate and BTF Media, announced the project. The first workshop is slated for 2023, and the musical will feature music by the Mexican composer Jaime Lozano and lyrics by the Obie Award-winning playwright Neena Beber.

In the announcement today, the production said the musical will reveal “new, rarely explored layers of this most complex – and ardently Mexican – genius as it follows her journey from Mexico City to Paris and New York, and finally back home to the house of her birth for one final professional triumph.”

The synopsis continued, “Grounded by the rollercoaster romance between the artist and her great love, Diego RiveraFrida will be a full-throated celebration of Kahlo’s joyous spirit of creativity and her unmatched gift for transforming physical and emotional pain into breathtaking beauty.”

Speaking on behalf of the Kahlo Family, Mara Romeo, universal heiress to the Frida Kahlo legacy, said, “We are deeply moved that this show will allow audiences around the world to get to know Frida as so much more than just an artist. Full of joy, ahead of her time, and steeped in the culture of Mexico, she was a woman driven by an unending passion for life. I hope that this show inspires women everywhere to have the courage to fight for their dreams.”

Although overlooked in her lifetime, Kahlo, who died in 1954 at the age of 47, is now widely regarded as one of the most significant artists of the last century, an exemplar of surrealism and a pioneering artistic force in feminism and an icon of and for Chicanos. Her work exploded in popularity and impact beginning in the 1970s, and the 2002 film Frida, starring Salma Hayek and directed by Julie Taymor, carried her legacy to movie audiences.

In the statement today, producers of the upcoming stage production said, “Kahlo redefined beauty, humanity, political activism, feminism, and sexuality in her time. Through an explosion of music, alongside authentic imagery and exclusive material granted by the estate, Frida promises to bring audiences new dimensions of this sister, friend, artist, lover, and perennially relevant icon.”

Sebastian Cordova Helps Lead Mexico Past Japan for Men’s Soccer Bronze at Tokyo Games

2020 Tokyo Games

Sebastian Cordova has helped lead Mexico to the medal podium…

The 24-year-old Mexican soccer player scored the first goal of the bronze medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Games to help Mexico beat Japan 3-1 and earn a place on the medal stand.

Sebastian Cordova

Mexico dominated the host country in the men’s soccer game on Friday night, ending Japan’s hope of a first Olympic medal in 53 years with a 3-1 win at Saitama Stadium.

Three days after both teams played 120 minutes in their respective semifinal losses, Japan languished against a sharper Mexico side, giving up its opening goal by Cordova from the penalty spot and two more from set plays before Kaoru Mitoma’s consolation strike late in the match.

Mexico Olympic Soccer Team

Japan’s only medal in Olympic men’s soccer came at the 1968 Mexico City Games, when the country defeated the host nation for bronze. This time, the outcome was reversed.

“We were quite strong, we took risks and we did what we had to do,” Mexico head coach Jaime Lozano said. “We didn’t achieve our goal of a gold but we knew we’d get a bronze medal, and not even the hosts could take third place from us.”

Sebastian Cordova

Moriyasu’s side beat Mexico in their second group game with an early two-goal assault, but this this time it was the team clad in green breaking a scoreless deadlock in the 13th minute, courtesy of a Cordova penalty sent left as Japan goalkeeper Kosei Tani dived in the opposite direction.

Cordova earned the penalty after he was fouled from behind by midfielder Wataru Endo at the top of the area, close enough to the line to inspire a VAR review that eventually upheld referee Bamlaku Weyesa’s initial call.

Lozano’s squad easily created space it couldn’t find when the two teams first met last month and doubled its lead to 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Pumas defender Johan Vasquez headed in Cordova’s free kick past Tani.

The halftime break allowed Japan to reorganize somewhat, with Reo Hatate replacing Yuki Soma to start the second half. But despite some promising runs on goal, Mexico was by far the sharper of the two sides, scoring its third goal off a 58th-minute Cordoba corner kick duly heated in by Alexis Vega.

Substitute midfielder Mitoma spared Japan the embarrassment of a shutout when he slipped through the Mexican back line before steering his attempt past veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 78th minute.