
The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Group Stage wrapped up on Sunday with pivotal matches in Group A, as Mexico and Costa Rica secured their places in the quarterfinals, while Suriname and the Dominican Republic saw their campaigns come to an end.
At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Mexico and Costa Rica played to a tense 0-0 draw, a result that saw both sides remain unbeaten and advance. Mexico, with a 2-1-0 (W-D-L) record, topped the group on goal difference and will now face Saudi Arabia, the second-place team from Group D, in the quarterfinals. Costa Rica also finished with a 2-1-0 mark but settled for second place, setting up a clash with Group D winners, the United States.
Mexico's Raúl Jiménez had multiple chances to break the deadlock but was denied time and again by Costa Rican captain and veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas. The two were locked in a personal duel in the first half, with Navas saving a near-post header in the 23rd minute and following it up with a diving stop off a volley from the top of the box just a minute later.
Jiménez came close again in the 56th minute, steering a cross from Roberto Alvarado just wide of the left post, as Mexico searched for a breakthrough that never came. Navas finished with four saves to record the first clean sheet for Los Ticos in this year’s tournament, while Mexico’s Luis Ángel Malagón secured his second consecutive shutout.
Earlier in the day at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Suriname and the Dominican Republic also played to a scoreless draw, a result that sealed the fate of both teams in Group A.
Despite finishing with ten men after Edgar Pujol’s red card in the 30th minute, the Dominican Republic managed to hold off Suriname’s repeated attempts to find a winner. Goalkeeper Xavier Valdez was the standout performer, making five saves, including efforts to deny Richonell Margaret, Gleofilo Vlijter, and a late attempt from Margaret in the 81st minute.
Suriname’s Warner Hahn matched him with a key stop in second-half stoppage time, turning away a left-footed strike from Peter González to preserve the clean sheet.
Both nations end their Gold Cup journey with identical 0-1-2 records. The Dominican Republic, making their tournament debut, finished third in the group, narrowly ahead of Suriname on goal difference.
With the group stage complete, Mexico and Costa Rica will look ahead to challenging quarterfinal matchups, while Suriname and the Dominican Republic shift their focus to future regional competitions.
Photo: Concacaf.com