Mexico’s possible starting XI for the Gold Cup quarter final vs Costa Rica

Mexico will go all out against Costa Rica in a game that new manager Jaime ‘Jimmy’ Lozano cannot afford to lose - not if he wants to maintain the fantastic spirit he has created, one that has caused Mexican fans to buy up 60,000 of the tickets at AT&T Stadium to witness the clash.

In the last game, against Qatar, where Mexico fell to a shock loss, Lozano made a big number of changes to his starting XI, something he could afford to do given the game did not have qualification riding on it. His choice of players for that game, despite the loss, was justified, and now he can throw everything he has at Costa Rica in Texas.

Who will play for Mexico against Costa Rica?

Guillermo Ochoa, who recently spoke quite strongly about his longevity in the side, will start in goal. As for the defence, César Montes is set to return after completing his suspension, while Jorge Sánchez and Vásquez will likely be brought back into the fold.

Further up the pitch, Edson will return to his natural position at the base of midfield, with Chávez slightly further ahead. The only doubt in the XI is whether or not Jimmy will go with Luis Romo or Erick Sánchez, with the former the slight favourite due to his superior physical presence.

And in attack, things are fairly straightforward, with Martín, Antuna and Pineda picking themselves.

Mexico are riding a new wave of optimism and go into the game with high hopes. Costa Rica will be no pushovers, so Jimmy Lozano will have no wiggle room and will most likely go for his strongest starting XI. Here’s how we think he will line up: