Mexico won for the first time at the World Cup in Qatar, but is out of the title fight. This Wednesday (30), the US team beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 at the Lusail Stadium. The triumph, however, was insufficient. The tricolor team ended Group C in third place, with the same score as Poland, in second place, behind on goal difference. The Asians, with three points, stayed with the flashlight.
It was a great final match, but despite the victory of the #MEX about #KSAboth selections ended up being eliminated.
— FIFA World Cup ? (@fifaworldcup_pt) November 30, 2022
Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Poland at the 974 Stadium in Doha would allow the Mexicans to qualify with a three-goal difference. A 2-0 triumph – as the score in Lusail pointed out in almost the entire second stage – would take the decision for the second wave to the criterion of the number of yellows, which would put the Poles in second place for having three cards less. The Saudi goal, scored in injury time, was a shower of cold water.
It is the first time since 1978 that Mexico has not made it past the first round of a World Cup. After debuting with a historic 2-1 victory over Argentina, Saudi Arabia stayed on the way and repeated the script of the four previous participations, between 1998 and 2006 and 2018, when it fell in the group stage. The Saudis advanced to the knockout stage only in 1994, in the country’s debut in the World Cup, stopping in the round of 16.
#ARG leader and #POL in second, defined with a lot of emotion in the last round!
With you, the final classification of Group C!
— FIFA World Cup ? (@fifaworldcup_pt) November 30, 2022
Argentine Gerardo Martino, coach of Mexico, went back on most of the changes made against Argentina (which ended in a 2-0 defeat) and re-edited the basis of the team that tied without goals with Poland, in the debut. Full-back Jorge Sánchez, defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez and striker Henry Martín returned to the team, scheduled with three men up front. The only absence was midfielder Andrés Guardado, Mexican captain, with a muscle injury.
In the Saudi national team, Frenchman Hervé Renard also played in the team that lost 2-0 to Poland. In some cases, exchanges were necessary. In defence, Sultan Al-Ghanam and Ali Al-Bulayhi (instead of the injured Mohammed Al-Burayk) took up the flanks, with Hassan Al-Tambakti in the defense (midfielder Sami Al-Naji started on the bench) and Saud Abdulhamid (back in the previous games) cast as a defensive midfielder. Still in midfield, the suspended Abdulelah Al-Malki was replaced by Ali Al-Hassan.
The need for a victory with a good goal difference made Mexico take command of the offensive actions in the first half. On two minutes, Hirving Lozano speared the ball into the middle of the Saudi defense and Alexis Vega, in front of Mohammed Al-Owais, hit the goalkeeper. The Asian response came five minutes later, in a counterattack on the left and a cross for Mohamed Kanno, free on the right, almost in the small area, hitting the first time, over the goal. The steering wheel scared again at 12, with a free kick from the half moon, close to the crossbar.
The Mexicans were prowling the Asian area, but with difficulty entering it. The midfielder’s kicks and the raised balls were an alternative, without success. In one of them, in the 26th minute, Lozano crossed from the right for midfielder Orbelin Pineda’s header, in the opposite foot of Al-Owais, which Al-Ghanam saved almost on top of the line. Behind, Arabia only managed to fit in a counterattack in stoppage time, shortly before the break, in a cross by Al-Ghanam on the right and “peixinho” by Al-Hassan, who went to the right of Guillermo Ochoa’s goal.
This man… ☄️ ?? pic.twitter.com/kOK6u3SmRA
— National Team (@miseleccionmx) November 30, 2022
The North American insistence was rewarded in the second half. At two minutes, after a corner hit from the left, defender Cesar Montes deflected the first post and Martín, in the small area, sent it to the net. Four minutes later, defensive midfielder Luis Chávez, taking a free kick in the corner, increased the tricolor advantage. The third would have come out after ten minutes, with Lozano, but the referee stopped Martín and annulled the goal.
The possibility of qualifying excited the Mexicans, who hammered behind the saving goal. Martín and Pineda narrowly missed the mark, while Chávez and Lozano stopped at Al-Owais. At 41 minutes, Uriel Antuna scored, but the move was canceled due to the striker’s impediment. In addition, the tricolor drama gave way to disappointment. In the only Saudi attack in the second half, striker Salem Al-Dawsari crossed the line at the entrance to the area and finished on Ochoa’s way out, to the delight of the Polish crowd, who were desperately waiting for the end of the match, after the defeat against Argentina.
SALE! ?? pic.twitter.com/Px5WO1pkAS
— FIFA World Cup ? (@fifaworldcup_pt) November 30, 2022
