We're down to the elite eight.

After Guatemala, El Salvador, Canada and Honduras failed to get past group play, just eight teams remain in contention for the championship. Two of those teams are Mexico and Costa Rica, and they will face off Sunday night.

Let's preview the game and pick a winner.

Mexico (40)

It's been a wild ride for Miguel Herrera and his Mexican squad. They obliterated Cuba 6-0 in their opening Gold Cup game, had a disappointing tie against Guatemala, and then tied Trinidad and Tobago. Their 4-4 tie against Trinidad and Tobago was one of the craziest games in recent memory as they were up 2-0, then trailed 3-2, led 4-3, and then allowed a goal with just five seconds left.

Unfortunately for Mexico, not only will Javier Hernandez not be playing, but Giovani dos Santos is listed as "doubtful" for this game because of an injury.

Team captain Andrés Guardado is now the 'go to guy' for Mexico. Without Santos and Hernandez on the field, Mexico's offense is going to take a big hit. Luckily for Mexico, they still have a great middle field that is capable of controlling the ball for high time of possessions. Francisco Javier Rodríguez leads an average defensive unit. Guillermo Ochoa will get the start in net once again.

Mexico has won this event a record six times, but this will be their toughest task because of ongoing injuries to their roster.

Costa Rica (41)

Costa Rica entered this tournament as the highest ranked CONCACAF team, but they slipped 27 spots in the new FIFA rankings to No. 41 in the world. Costa Rica was unable to get a single win in group stage play, tying all three games, and watched Jamaica win Group B.

Costa Rica hasn't had much luck against Mexico in the past. Dating back to 1935, Mexico has 27 wins, seven loss and 16 draws against Costa Rica. The last time they met in the Gold Cup was in 2011, when Mexico won 4-1. In 1989 Costa Rica won this event when it was previously known as the CONCACAF Championship.

Team captain Bryan Ruiz and Alvaro Saborío create a good offensive duo, but Costa Rica has defensive issues. They were placed in the weakest group, and failed to live up to expectations. Esteban Alvarado is expected to get the start in net once again.

The winner of this game will face the winner of the Trinidad and Tobago vs. Panama game in the semifinals.

Schedule, Where to Watch

Mexico and Costa Rica will play each other at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 19. The game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game will be shown on Fox Sports 1. You can watch a live game stream here.

Prediction

Costa Rica has been disappointing, but Mexico has a lot of key injuries. This should be a close game decided in the middle field. Mexico will also have the x-factor with a large home-field advantage because so many Mexican soccer fans are showing up in support. Guardado steps up and makes the difference.

Mexico wins 2-1

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1