Defender Cesar Montes scored twice in a six-minute span in the second half and defending champion Mexico struggled early but managed to get past Suriname 2-0 on Wednesday night to secure a spot in the knockout round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Mexico is 3-0-0 all-time against Suriname, last beating the nation in the group stage of the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League season. Time: 10 p.m. ET

Mexico beats Suriname with Cesar Montes' second-half brace and punch its ticket to the Gold Cup quarterfinals. Also joining Mexico from Group A will be Costa Rica, with both teams sitting on six points after two games played in group stage. Both teams will play each on Sunday in Las Vegas to decide who'll win the group.