MEXICO SEEKS GOLD CUP TITLE

The game is not going to be against the rival Mexico expected, but seven and a half months after the country’s worst performance in a World Cup in 44 years, Mexico will seek to restore a bit of its tarnished image when it plays the surprising Panama in the Gold Cup final.

With Jaime Lozano, their third coach in less than a year, the Mexicans will try to win their ninth Gold Cup title today.

Panama beat the U.S. to advance to its first final since 2013. The country is looking for its first Gold Cup championship.

“Usually, the dream final is the United States against Mexico, but that is not going to happen and it doesn’t matter to me,” said Lozano, who is an interim coach. “For me the goal is the same, if Panama is in the final it is because they did something better than the United States.”

Mexico and Panama recently played for third place in the CONCACAF Nations League and El Tri won 1-0 in what was the last match with Argentine coach Diego Cocca at the helm.

Cocca replaced his countryman Gerardo Martino, who was in charge at the World Cup in Qatar when Mexico failed to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time since 1978. But in the sixth of the seven games he managed, Cocca lost 3-0 to the Americans in the Nations League semifinals and was fired four days later.

That match was cut short in extra time by the referee because of disruptive homophobic chants from Mexico’s fans in Las Vegas.

Lozano, who led Mexico to the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was appointed for the job, but only for the Gold Cup.

Ten of the players who were with Lozano at the Olympics were included in the Gold Cup roster. Seven of them are regular starters.

“They have bought us our idea, not now but from the previous process (Olympics) and I have nothing more to say than thank them for their trust, for the way in which the game plans are executed,” said Lozano. “They decided that they wanted to be the best team in the tournament and bring the Gold Cup back home.”

In route to the final, Mexico beat Honduras 4-0, then Haiti 3-1, lost to Qatar 1-0, beat Costa Rica 2-0 and Jamaica 3-0 in the semifinal.

Although on paper it looks like a dominant tournament, the Mexicans have had long periods during matches in which they have not played well.

That needs to change if the Mexicans hope to leave Sofi Stadium with their fists raised.

The Panamanians were in fifth place in the CONCACAF qualifiers for Qatar 2022.

More soccer

England midfielder Declan Rice joined Arsenal for a deal worth a reported 105 million pounds ($138 million) on Saturday, ending his nine-year association with West Ham. The fee wasn’t officially announced by either club, but West Ham said the 24-year-old Rice was moving for a British-record transfer fee.

Motorsports

Christopher Bell crashed NASCAR’S playoff field a year ago when he chased down Chase Elliott and pulled off a vital win at Loudon, N.H. A year later, Bell returned to the track still out in front, only this time on the pole after he turned the fastest qualifying lap of 124.781 mph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will lead the field to green for today’s NASCAR Cup race.

• John Hunter Nemechek survived a wreckmarred NASCAR race Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and won for the fourth time this season in the Xfinity Series. The 26year-old Nemechek followed last week’s win at Atlanta with another dominant performance for Joe Gibbs Racing. Nemechek pulled away off the final caution, the perfect spot to avoid one more final wipeout behind him. Nemechek rolled in the No. 20 Toyota to the finish line under caution — the 10th of race — that ended the race under the white flag.

Christian Lundgaard has the pole for today’s Honda Indy Toronto. Lundgaard had the best lap in the Firestone Fast 6 on a wet street course at Toronto’s Exhibition Place on Saturday. Scott Mclaughlin and Pato O’ward were second and third, respectively.

Swimming

Retirement isn’t anywhere in sight for swimmer Katie Ledecky, one of the greatest freestylers that swimming has ever seen. Ledecky is preparing with the American team in Singapore for the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, starting on July 23. Speaking with reporters on Saturday, she said she has no plans to step away after the Paris Olympics in a year.

In fact, she keeps rolling on at 26 and may even be around for Los Angeles in 2028. Ledecky has 19 gold medals from the worlds and seven from the Olympics and still loves doing what she does too much to feel satisfied.

“I can say pretty confidently that I’m not going to be done in 2024,” she said. “I just don’t see myself hanging it up after next year. I just love the sport too much right now. I can’t wrap my head around being done next year.”