Mexico on high alert to avoid Gold Cup upset vs. Jamaica

So far, so good for Mexico interim manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano.

Hired just a few days before the start of the 2023 Gold Cup, and after the firing of former coach Diego Cocca, the 44-year-old Mexico City native has carried El Tri through a spot at first in Group B and a recent 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in the quarterfinal round.

He’s had some bumps along the way — notably in a 1-0 loss to Qatar in the group stage — but Lozano has at least kept Mexico alive in a tournament that they’re desperate to win. With an early exit in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and a discouraging place at third in last month’s Concacaf Nations League finals, the team is in dire need of a mood-lifting championship.

Lozano has righted El Tri‘s ship at the Gold Cup, but ahead of a challenging semifinal against Jamaica on Wednesday in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, questions remain for Mexico in their quest for a title.

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Who will start in the midfield and up top?

In the heart of the XI, things are up in the air.

“We don’t know how he’s doing, well, we know how he’s doing but we don’t know if it’s going to be possible that he participates tomorrow,” said Lozano on Tuesday about defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez, who suffered a recent knock. “We’ll wait, surely, until the last minute…if he’s at 100%, without a doubt he’ll be taken into consideration.”

With questions regarding the health of Alvarez, that then means that Luis Romo will likely move back into his position, leaving one of the two attack-minded midfield roles up for grabs alongside Luis Chavez. The easy answer would be a return to the XI for the well-rounded Erick Sanchez, a 22-year-old that is an exciting box-to-box player. Carlos Rodriguez, although lacking defensive coverage, is also a possible option with his playmaking.

At the No. 9 position, there are also no guarantees that a veteran like Henry Martin will hold onto his starting spot. Despite the…