Mexico Beats Suriname, Advances in Gold Cup

Defending champions Mexico advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup knockout stage with a 2-0 win over Suriname, as defender César Montes scored both goals in a six-minute span in the second half. Montes now leads the tournament's scoring charts alongside Costa Rica's Manfred Ugalde, having previously found the net only once in 53 matches for the national team. Mexico struggled to create chances early but capitalized on set pieces, maintaining their trend with four of five tournament goals coming from corners. With this victory, Mexico tops Group A with six points and will face Costa Rica next, needing only a draw to secure first place. Costa Rica also reached the quarterfinals after defeating the Dominican Republic 2-1, while Suriname and the Dominican Republic were eliminated. Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre acknowledged the group's difficulty despite his team's success.