Overcoming an arm injury to help set up the winning goal in the Gold Cup final, the Rayados attacker should have more El Tri chances going forward

It was one of those injuries that makes everyone go “Ooooof.” Rodolfo Pizarro’s elbow bent back in a way elbows are not supposed to bend. It was a serious injury, the kind of thing people say out loud the TV producers shouldn’t replay but secretly want them to show again and again. It was serious … and then it wasn’t.

There were just two differences for Pizarro after he came back from the halftime locker room. His elbow now had a wrap on it, and he was playing on the other side.

The Monterrey attacker made a difference of his own in the second half, helping to set up the winning goal in El Tri’s 1-0 victory over the United States in the Gold Cup final Sunday. His future, both with the national team and on the club level is bright. 

“Rodolfo has the ability to come in from either of the two sides where he’s playing,” Mexico manager Tata Martino said of the switch, adding that he wanted a fresh Uriel Antuna to keep U.S. right back Reggie Cannon pinned back.

Pizarro’s job was to slip inside of Tim Ream, a natural center back playing at left back for the United States in the Gold Cup. Martino felt with Antuna attacking Cannon from the outside and Pizarro tucking inside to combine with forward Raul Jimenez, eventually a U.S. defense that had given up just a single goal in the tournament prior to the final would crack.

That’s exactly what happened in the 73rd minute with Jonathan dos Santos finding a tucked-in Pizarro. Then he went to work. He gets past Ream with just a touch and then finds a passing lane for Jimenez. The forward slips the ball behind him for Dos Santos, who continued his run, and the LA Galaxy attacker smashes it home. Pizarro doesn’t get his name on the scoresheet, but without him there’s no winning goal.

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