Played
June 8, 2012 8:00 PM EDT
Estadio Azteca — Coyoacán, Ciudad de México (D.F.)
Referee: J. Santos
Attendance: 80401
June 8, 2012 8:00 PM EDT
Estadio Azteca — Coyoacán, Ciudad de México (D.F.)
Referee: J. Santos
Attendance: 80401
Mexico 3-1 Guyana: El Tri opens World Cup qualifying with an unconvincing win
The home crowd at Estadio Azteca was not convinced by the performance, but El Tri still picked up all three points in its first qualifier.
By Seth Vertelney
Carlos Salcido, Mexico (Getty Images)
Mexico started off its 2014 World Cup qualification in unconvincing style, but still managed to grind out a 3-1 win over Guyana at the Estadio Azteca.
Carlos Salcido and Giovani dos Santos gave El Tri an early lead, before a Guyana own goal sealed the win in the second half. The visitors managed to pull a goal back by forcing an own goal out of Mexico.
"This was definitely not a good game for us," Mexico coach José Manuel de la Torre said after the game. "We were not precise on offense, our passing was not clear and we lacked major opportunities up front."
The home team opened the scoring within 10 minutes, as Salcido rocketed a volley home from outside the box.
Five minutes later, Mexico made it two, as dos Santos finished off a classy passing move in style with a low finish to the far post.
Mexico earned a three-goal lead five minutes into the second half when Andres Guardado crossed low into the area for Chicharito Hernandez, who appeared to flick home from close range. Replays confirmed Guyana defender John Paul Rodrigues actually got the final touch.
Guyana managed to score a goal at the Azteca, though it was Hector Moreno who scored it against his own side, the Espanyol man deflecting a cross past Jesus Corona in goal.
The visitors almost found a second goal, striking the crossbar, but Mexico managed to hold out for a 3-1 win in a match it was expected to win by a much greater margin. El Tri continues World Cup qualification on Tuesday when the team visits El Salvador.
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Carlos Salcido and Giovani dos Santos gave El Tri an early lead, before a Guyana own goal sealed the win in the second half. The visitors managed to pull a goal back by forcing an own goal out of Mexico.
"This was definitely not a good game for us," Mexico coach José Manuel de la Torre said after the game. "We were not precise on offense, our passing was not clear and we lacked major opportunities up front."
The home team opened the scoring within 10 minutes, as Salcido rocketed a volley home from outside the box.
Five minutes later, Mexico made it two, as dos Santos finished off a classy passing move in style with a low finish to the far post.
Mexico earned a three-goal lead five minutes into the second half when Andres Guardado crossed low into the area for Chicharito Hernandez, who appeared to flick home from close range. Replays confirmed Guyana defender John Paul Rodrigues actually got the final touch.
Guyana managed to score a goal at the Azteca, though it was Hector Moreno who scored it against his own side, the Espanyol man deflecting a cross past Jesus Corona in goal.
De la Torre praised the visitors' effort, saying "Guyana played well, they stayed back and had a lot of fast, strong players in defense to stifle us."
The visitors almost found a second goal, striking the crossbar, but Mexico managed to hold out for a 3-1 win in a match it was expected to win by a much greater margin. El Tri continues World Cup qualification on Tuesday when the team visits El Salvador.
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Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Peter Byers Striker |
10 | 1 |
|
B. Pérez Striker FC Dallas |
9 | 0 |
|
Clint Dempsey Midfielder Tottenham |
7 | 1 |
|
A. Saborío Striker RSL |
7 | 1 |
|
|
Deon McCalauy Midfielder Belize |
7 | 1 |
