2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup favourites USA and Mexico will face off in the final after successfully navigating their semi-final opponents. In Houston on Wednesday evening, the US team exacted revenge on Panama by recording a 1-0 defeat following their loss in the group stage.
Fulham star Clint Dempsey scored his third goal of the tournament with a 76th minute finish from a Landon Donovan cross to send his nation to their fourth straight Gold Cup decider, where they will take on arch rivals Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday.
The Mexicans reached the final thanks to a 2-0 extra-time victory over a stubborn Honduras outfit who refused to be knocked down by the free-scoring El Tri outfit in regular time.
However, the dynamic duo of Aldo de Nigris and Javier Hernandez did the damage for the Mexicans with goals in the 93rd and 99th minutes respectively to get them through to a third-consecutive final against the Americans.
Hernandez's goal was his seventh for the tournament, whilst de Nigris has managed to get under the radar with four vital goals, suggesting that these two will be the main source of attack in the final.
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals
USA: 1 (Clint Dempsey 76') Panama: 0 Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX - 70,627
Honduras: 0 (red card: Roger Espinoza 114') Mexico: 2 (Aldo de Nigris 90+3', Javier Hernandez 90+9') Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX - 70,627
