Sunday Football Tips: In Paradise with 11/2 Herrera

USA v Mexico
Sunday 1 August (01:30 BST Mon)
Live on Premier Sports and Betfair Live Video

USA or Mexico will join Italy and Argentina as this summer's continental champions on Sunday when the CONCACAF Gold Cup final is held in Paradise, Nevada.

It is a repeat of the 2019 final, won 1-0 by the Mexicans, and El Tri are favourites to win again, chalked up at 6/5 to win in 90 minutes and 4/7 to lift the trophy.

Sadly some of these nations' best players won't be on display. Christian Pulisic opted out, while Raul Jimenez is only just returning to fitness after his horrific head injury sustained in November.

Mexico also lost Hirving Lozano to a mid-tournament injury but the absence of some of their biggest goal threats appears to have paved the way for midfielder Hector Herrera to get forward more often from his midfield role and he's a player very much on the radar ahead of this match.

A title winner in Spain last season with Atletico Madrid, Herrera has played all bar four minutes of Mexico's five matches so far and fired off 18 shots.

He managed two on target against Honduras in their quarter-final and another two against a decent Canada side in Thursday's semi-final, the second of which found the net to send his side through.

Even taking into account the level of opposition, Herrera's shot output is impressive given he managed only 13 in his 26 appearances (admittedly many were as sub) for Atletico last season. That helps show his more advanced role for his national side.

Shots markets would have been nice for this one, alas none were available at time of writing, but 11/2 in the anytime goalscorer market looks chunky.

While the 2019 game between these two was tight, there have been plenty of goals in other recent meetings. Indeed the pair met in the delayed CONCACAF Nations League final in June, a game the US won 3-2 in extra time after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes.

There have also been 3-2 and 2-1 wins for Mexico in other recent competitive games, plus a 1-1 draw.

It's therefore far from a given that this will be a defensive, tense affair and so Herrera looks worth a poke given his eye for goal right now.

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