'Unfair to leave one of the two out' - Mexico boss Javier Aguirre confesses experiment of starting both Santiago Giménez and Raúl Jiménez against Canada worked

The Mexican national team advanced to the Nations League final after defeating Canada 2-0 Thursday night in a match where manager Javier Aguirre surprised by starting both Santiago Giménez and Raúl Jiménez.

The experiment worked for Aguirre, as Jiménez scored in the first minute to put El Tri ahead. In the second half, the Fulham striker netted the definitive 2-0 to send Mexico to the final against Panama.

Here’s what Javier Aguirre said about starting two forwards: "Santi moves to Milan, and Raúl continues in good form. I thought it would be unfair to leave one of the two out. I started to think it over. I had no doubts about the finishing, but I did about the build-up, because there, Orbelín, Charly, and Huerta gave me more control of the ball, but today they played well, they understood each other well, and the team came through. I think it's a good formula, and we took advantage of it."

This is what "Vasco" had to say about Mexico's victory over Canada: "An extremely close match, they had goal-scoring chances to equalize, and we had the opportunity to score two goals, one at the start of the game. That helps a lot, it gives you a lot of energy, and when we were struggling the most, our second goal came. I don't take anything away from Canada; perhaps the scoreline doesn't reflect the difference, but I believe Canada challenged us and took us to the limit, just like last time."

With the result, El Tri ended a three-match winless streak against Canada and secured a spot in the tournament final, where they will face Panama - who surprisingly eliminated the United States with a last-minute goal. Vasco's team will look to win its first Nations League title since the competition was introduced.

"Happy with this opportunity that Vasco gave us. He tried it, and it worked out well with that early goal. Having two strikers keeps the defense more concerned, so it was an experiment that turned out well. We didn't have many goal-scoring chances, but when we connected well, we created good plays," Jiménez said.

"We all feel in sync, from the goalkeeper to the attack, we're all on the same page. Canada was a tough opponent, but we knew how to beat them. We're in the Final, and we're going to win it," said Giménez.

About starting alongside Raúl Jiménez, Giménez said: "It's football, and we can play with any formation. Raúl and I understood each other well - it's an honor to play alongside him, and I have a lot to learn from him. Panama’s win is no surprise; we know how strong they are. They're a very united and solid team."

With his two goals tonight against Canada, Raúl Jiménez reached 37, leaving him just one goal away from tying Cuauhtémoc Blanco and breaking into the top three of Mexico’s all-time top scorers. Chicharito leads the list with 52 goals, followed by Jared Borgetti with 46.