The choice of Mexico tied this Sunday 2-2 at Jamaica and qualified in an alarming manner in the semifinal of League of Concacaf Nations, in the home debut of Argentine coach Diego Cocca. Jamaica took the lead twice at Azteca Stadium, with a goal by Bobby Reid and an own goal by Édson Álvarez, while Mexico salvaged an equaliser, with scores from Orbelín Pineda and Hirving Lozano.
The Mexicans came out to impose conditions at the Azteca stadium, their home, and in the 6th minute they created a danger with a header from Héctor Moreno, which was saved by goalkeeper Jahmali Waite. Jamaica put the Mexicans in trouble in the 7th minute and then scored Reid, who from outside the area finished the squad with a right foot.
In the advanced lines, the local team tried not to lose hope before the whistles of their fans; he went for the tie and achieved it in the 17th minute with a right-footed goal from Pineda. While trying to gain a midcourt advantage against a faster opponent, Mexico struck again. An own goal from Álvarez put the Caribbean team ahead.
Desperate, Mexico tried everything. Well planted, Jamaica’s defense but in the stoppage time of the first half, Ravel Morrison committed a foul in the area and led to a penalty scored by Lozano.
Diego Lainez on the crossbar
The second half involved the middle of the field with some disrespectful Jamaicans against the favorite and an erratic Mexico, playing in the middle of the field and passing balls over the top. Shamar Nicholson came close to giving Jamaica the lead with a header in the 57th minute, saved by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, and Mexico denied a goal chance in the 78th minute with a shot from Diego Laínez to crossbar.
In ’87, Cory Burke got Jamaica’s victory in his boot, but Ochoa made a great save to preserve the tie. In the last minute, Lozano ruled everything in his favor and confirmed the bad night for the Mexicans.
DATA SHEET
2- Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa; Héctor Moreno, Jesús Gallardo, César Montes, Jorge Sánchez (Julián Araújo n.80); Luis Chávez, Édson Álvarez, Luis Romo, Orbelín Pineda (Diego Laínez m.62); Henry Martín (Raúl Jiménez m.63), Hirving Lozano
Instructor: Diego Cocca
2- Jamaican: Jahmali Waite; Amari’l Bell, Ethan Pinnock, Damion Lowe (Adrian Mariappa m.83), Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa m.46); Ravel Morrison (Jonathan Russell m.66), Daniel Johnson (Cory Burke m.83); Leon Bailey, Bobby Reid; Jawal Lowe (Kemar Lawrence m.66), Shamar Nicholson
Instructor: Heimir Hallgrimsson
The objectives: 0-1, Bobby Reid (d. 7); 1-1, Orbelin Pineda (d. 17); 1-2, Édson Álvarez (3′, on pp); 2-2, Hirving Lozano (d. 45+2)
Referee: Ismail Elfath, from the United States. He advised Raúl Jiménez
Incidents: Concacaf Nations League group A final match, held at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level, before more than 65,000 fans
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
