'It bothers me, it irritates me' - Mexico manager Javier Aguirre concerned about lack of clinical edge by El Tri's strikers

Mexico head into Saturday’s Gold Cup quarterfinal against Saudi Arabia knowing they must improve their finishing in front of goal. Head coach Javier Aguirre didn’t hold back in criticizing his forwards and the lack of consistency they’ve shown in front of goal.

“It bothers me, it irritates me,” Aguirre said in a press conference. “They’ve had opportunities and need to be more clinical when it matters. They do a lot of things well, but it comes down to a lack of focus. Sometimes they take three great shots and then the fourth one is awful. I’d rather have four average shots on target...Raúl Jiménez missed a clear chance against Costa Rica. I keep stressing the importance of technique because that’s what makes the difference. Tactically, we’re on the same level as other teams, but finishing is what’s been costing us the most.”

Mexico will have to make do without two key players. César Montes is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, while Luis Chávez has been ruled out for several months after suffering a torn ACL.

"He was heartbroken, but he's strong and we're optimistic. The sooner he undergoes surgery, the sooner the recovery will begin," Aguirre told the media.

The Mexican national team arrived in Glendale on Friday, after spending the week training in San Diego to avoid Arizona’s extreme heat. Head coach Aguirre followed a similar approach ahead of the third group stage match against Costa Rica, choosing to keep the team in Arlington - the venue of their second game against Suriname - for training.

El Tri are aiming to defend the Gold Cup title they won in 2023 and claim a historic tenth championship. Saturday’s match will be crucial, as they face a Saudi Arabia side that finished second in Group D with four points.

"I’m not going to disrespect Saudi Arabia by looking ahead. We’re fully focused on winning. Of course, we’re well organized. We’ll keep growing and build from that, but right now, our only focus is the next match," said Aguirre during Friday’s pre-match press conference.

Saturday’s match at State Farm Stadium will be the seventh meeting between Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Their most recent encounter was in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Mexico came away with a 2–1 win. Historically, El Tri have dominated the head-to-head, with five victories and just one draw - the latter coming in a scoreless friendly in June 1998 in Créteil, France.