Mexico 2-1 Saudi Arabia: Thrilling game sees both participants exit World Cup
Both Mexico and Saudi Arabia are out of the World Cup despite a strong performance from El Tri in a 2-1 win.
Gerardo Martino will be left fighting for his job after his side were eliminated on goal difference with Poland advancing in their place.
Saudi Arabia’s star man Salem Dawasari netted his third ever World Cup goal in added time, but his side had been poor throughout and deservedly lost this deciding fixture.
After an exciting opening ten minutes, the first half settled into its rhythm with Mexico holding a lot of unthreatening possession and Saudi Arabia dropping into a mid-block, shuffling side to side in a 4-5-1.
As minute went by a gap in quality became increasingly apparent momentum clearly building for Mexico and Saudi fans looking uncomfortable in their seats.
If the Green Falcons’ supporters were struggling to relax at half time, then El Tri’s lively start to the second half would have them descending into outright despair, taking the lead through a nice corner routine in the 47th minute.
Jesús Gallardo swung a low ball into the near post, Cesar Montez flicked it on and Henry Martín thumped home from no more than a yard out.
Five minutes later and a cynical shirt pull from Hassan Al Tambakti after misjudging a long ball forward and Luis Chavez found himself standing over the ball from 35 yards.
A few small steps as he bent his run towards the ball before wrapping his left boot around it and bending it back towards the near post before nestling into the side netting for a truly sublime free kick.
In the 56th minute El Tri were nearly three goals up, a neat one-two between Hirving Lozano and Martín leading to the former prodding home well, only for the offside flag to rule it out.
With news filtering in from Stadium 974 that Argentina were 2-0 up, Mexico now only needed one goal to get themselves into the round of 16, otherwise they were set to miss out on yellow cards accrued.
The players seemed lifted by the occasion, continuing to makes dents in a Saudi Arabian rearguard that was beginning to really creak under the pressure.
First in the 72nd minute another excellent free kick from Chavez was well beaten away by Al Owais and then in the 76th minute when Lozano snuck in behind down the left, drew the goalkeeper towards him and laid the ball off to Uriel Antuna whose finish could only be denied by a despairing white-socked leg.
With Mexico throwing everything forward in search of a decisive goal an excellent exchange between Al Dawsari and Hattan Behrebi gave the forward the freedom of Guillermo Ochoa’s penalty area to coolly place the ball past the World Cup veteran.
Heartbreak for Mexico, though rueful performances earlier in the tournament were more to blame for anything they did in this breathtaking game of football.
