The selection of Mexico tied this Sunday 2-2 with Jamaica and qualified in a distressing way to the semifinal of the Concacaf Nations League, in the home debut of Argentine coach Diego Cocca. Jamaica was ahead twice at the Azteca Stadium, with a goal by Bobby Reid and an own goal by Édson Álvarez, while Mexico rescued the equalizer, 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 danger with a header from Héctor Moreno, saved by goalkeeper Jahmali Waite. Jamaica put the Mexicans in trouble in the 7th minute and then Reid scored, who from outside the area finished off the squad with a right foot.
With advanced lines, the local team tried not to despair before the whistles of their fans; he went for the tie and achieved it in minute 17 with a right-footed goal from Pineda. While trying to gain a midcourt advantage against a faster opponent, Mexico took another hit. An own goal from Álvarez put the Caribbean team ahead.
Desperate, Mexico tried everything. Well planted, the Jamaican defense held on but in stoppage time of the first half Ravel Morrison fouled in the area and led to a penalty scored by Lozano.
Diego Lainez to the crossbar
The second part was entangled in the middle of the field with some disrespectful Jamaicans against the favorite and an erratic Mexico, game in the middle of the field and surpassed in the balls from above. Shamar Nicholson came close to giving Jamaica the lead with a header in minute 57, saved by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, and Mexico brushed the chance of a goal in minute 78 with a shot from Diego Laínez to the crossbar.
In ’87 Cory Burke had Jamaica’s victory in his boots, but Ochoa made a great save and kept the tie. At the last minute, Lozano ruled with 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
Coach: 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
Coach: Heimir Hallgrimsson
Goals: 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 admonished Raúl Jiménez
Incidents: Closing match of group A of the Concacaf Nations League, held at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, at 2,240 meters above sea level, before more than 65,000 fans
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