Tweet
Mexico qualifies for fifth straight World Cup with 4-1 victory
Andres Guardado and Memo Ochoa (center) celebrate Mexico's triumph
Photo by Mexsport10/10/2009 - MEXICO CITY – Mexico qualified for a fifth straight World Cup on Saturday, using a first-half own-goal and second-half tallies from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Paco Palencia and Carlos Vela to beat El Salvador 4-1 and end the visitors’ slim hopes.
The win gave Mexico 18 points, moving it atop the standings in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying pending two matches later Saturday.
Marvin Gonzalez’s misdirected clearance attempt in the 26th minute put Mexico ahead, but Blanco’s finish in the 71st, Palencia’s tally in the 85th and Vela’s finale in injury time assured Mexico of being the first team to clinch a berth out of CONCACAF.
El Salvador remained with eight points, four points behind fourth-placed Costa Rica with one match to play. The top three sides are guaranteed places in the 32-team World Cup field while the fourth-placed team faces the fifth-placed side from South America for the last berth in South Africa.
Gonzalez’s own goal came after Andres Guardado fed Guillermo Franco at the top of the area. Franco was closed down but managed to get the ball to Cuauthemoc Blanco as he came through the area. Gonzalez made a lunging left-footed tackle and then while on the ground tried to kick the ball away with his right, but only dribbled it past goalkeeper Miguel Montes.
With Mexico repeatedly threatening, Blanco finally converted to give El Tri insurance. Ricardo Osorio drove a long ball to Blanco, who backheeled to Carlos Vela, who returned with a backheel to Blanco.
Blanco fed Franco, who drove on goal until he reached the top of the area and then sent the ball wide to an unmarked Blanco, who finished past an approaching Montes. Palencia scored in his first national team appearance since March 28, 2007 and Vela finished the celebration.
The match was delayed after the start for about 8½ minutes when a swarm of flying insects began to nest along the crossbar of the El Salvador net at Estadio Azteca. Montes complained to Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres as both swatted away the pests.
Batres halted the match in the second minute and grounds crews fumigated the goal area and another area that included television sound equipment. The effort appeared to work although players and others could be seen swatting a stray insect from time to time.
Mexico had the better of quality chances including Carlos Vela’s bicycle attempt that Montes had to dive to block with both hands eight minutes into first-half injury time, and a left-footed free kick by Andres Guardado that skipped off the crossbar in the 56th.
Montes kept the game within a goal in the 68th, extending fully to get his fingertips to a header by Franco that skipped just wide of the the right post.
El Salvador relied on the counter and had its best chance in the 13th minute on a 25-meter free kick by Eliseo Quintanilla that skipped wide of the near post. Julio Martinez scored a consolation goal for El Salvador in the 88th, driving a 30-meter free kick past goalkeeper Memo Ochoa.
Besides winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, Mexico has won five straight World Cup qualifiers since a 2-1 loss at El Salvador on June 6. The loss was El Salvador’s fourth in its last five games, with its only victory at home against Costa Rica on September 9.
Andres Guardado and Memo Ochoa (center) celebrate Mexico's triumph
Photo by Mexsport10/10/2009 - MEXICO CITY – Mexico qualified for a fifth straight World Cup on Saturday, using a first-half own-goal and second-half tallies from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Paco Palencia and Carlos Vela to beat El Salvador 4-1 and end the visitors’ slim hopes.
The win gave Mexico 18 points, moving it atop the standings in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying pending two matches later Saturday.
Marvin Gonzalez’s misdirected clearance attempt in the 26th minute put Mexico ahead, but Blanco’s finish in the 71st, Palencia’s tally in the 85th and Vela’s finale in injury time assured Mexico of being the first team to clinch a berth out of CONCACAF.
El Salvador remained with eight points, four points behind fourth-placed Costa Rica with one match to play. The top three sides are guaranteed places in the 32-team World Cup field while the fourth-placed team faces the fifth-placed side from South America for the last berth in South Africa.
Gonzalez’s own goal came after Andres Guardado fed Guillermo Franco at the top of the area. Franco was closed down but managed to get the ball to Cuauthemoc Blanco as he came through the area. Gonzalez made a lunging left-footed tackle and then while on the ground tried to kick the ball away with his right, but only dribbled it past goalkeeper Miguel Montes.
With Mexico repeatedly threatening, Blanco finally converted to give El Tri insurance. Ricardo Osorio drove a long ball to Blanco, who backheeled to Carlos Vela, who returned with a backheel to Blanco.
Blanco fed Franco, who drove on goal until he reached the top of the area and then sent the ball wide to an unmarked Blanco, who finished past an approaching Montes. Palencia scored in his first national team appearance since March 28, 2007 and Vela finished the celebration.
The match was delayed after the start for about 8½ minutes when a swarm of flying insects began to nest along the crossbar of the El Salvador net at Estadio Azteca. Montes complained to Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres as both swatted away the pests.
Batres halted the match in the second minute and grounds crews fumigated the goal area and another area that included television sound equipment. The effort appeared to work although players and others could be seen swatting a stray insect from time to time.
Mexico had the better of quality chances including Carlos Vela’s bicycle attempt that Montes had to dive to block with both hands eight minutes into first-half injury time, and a left-footed free kick by Andres Guardado that skipped off the crossbar in the 56th.
Montes kept the game within a goal in the 68th, extending fully to get his fingertips to a header by Franco that skipped just wide of the the right post.
El Salvador relied on the counter and had its best chance in the 13th minute on a 25-meter free kick by Eliseo Quintanilla that skipped wide of the near post. Julio Martinez scored a consolation goal for El Salvador in the 88th, driving a 30-meter free kick past goalkeeper Memo Ochoa.
Besides winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, Mexico has won five straight World Cup qualifiers since a 2-1 loss at El Salvador on June 6. The loss was El Salvador’s fourth in its last five games, with its only victory at home against Costa Rica on September 9.