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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | July 2007 
Argentina Eliminates Mexico in Semifinals
 Mark Zeigler - San Diego Union-Tribune
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| | Mexico's starting team poses before playing Argentina in the semi-finals of the Copa America soccer tournament in Puerto Ordaz July 11, 2007. (Reuters/Jorge Silva) |
Give Mexico this much: It seems to bring out the best in Argentina.
A year ago, it took the goal of the World Cup from Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez to eliminate Mexico in overtime. Last night in the Copa America, Argentina didn't need overtime, but it did get a goal from 20-year-old Lionel Messi that will go down in soccer lore as well.
Argentina won 3-0 in a semifinal in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, that was closer than the final score and now moves on to face Brazil in a classic final on Sunday. Mexico plays Uruguay on Saturday in the third-place game.
But what people will be talking about is Argentina's second goal, which came moments after a hard shot by Mexico's Nery Castillo glanced off the crossbar and permanently swung the momentum toward the South Americans.
Mexico's defense got caught napping, and Argentine forward Carlos Tevez slid a pass to an unmarked Messi on the right side of the penalty area. Goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez took a couple of steps toward Messi to cut the angle, and Messi, without breaking stride, delicately chipped the ball over Sanchez into the far corner of the net for a 2-0 lead in the 61st minute.
The Brits would call it cheeky.
Five minutes later, it was 3-0. Tevez was awarded a questionable penalty kick – he was attempting to dribble out of the penalty area, not to mention replays indicating he fell before there was contact – and Juan Roman Riquelme added insult to injury by softly chipping the PK down the middle as Sanchez dived helplessly to his right.
El Tri had only one win against Argentina in the teams' last 11 encounters, but they were always tight games, including last summer's overtime thriller in Leipzig, Germany. The margin of defeat last night was Mexico's largest against Argentina since a 6-3 loss in the 1930 World Cup, the first of 25 all-time meetings. It was the largest against any opponent in 122 matches since a 4-0 loss to France in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
It was a rough way for Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez to celebrate his 49th birthday, particularly after his team had rebounded from the 2-1 loss against the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final last month to outscore its first four opponents in the Copa America 10-1.
Sanchez can take solace in that this was a 0-0 game until the closing seconds of the first half, when midfielder Gerardo Torrado drew a yellow card for a hard foul and gave Argentina a free kick 35 yards from goal. Riquelme lofted it toward the right post, and Gabriel Heinze slipped behind a trio of Mexican defenders to athletically flick the ball past an onrushing Sanchez.
Also consider this: El Tri hit the woodwork twice before Messi's genius made it 2-0 – once by Andres Guardado in the 35th minute and then by Castillo in the 55th.
Mark Zeigler: (619) 293-2205; mark.zeigler@uniontrib.com
Argentina Beats Mexico 3-0
IndiaTimes
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First Half
It was largely an uninspiring first half but Argentina got what it wanted in the dying moments of first 45 minutes. A goal. Gabriel Heinze scored for Argentina from a Riquelme free kick which initially looked as though it was going far away from the post till Heinze came literally into the frame from nowhere, soared into air and gave it the twist the second semi-final was yearning for the whole of the first half.
An online poll in Buenos Aires suggested that Tevez and Messi should be in the starting lineup. Whether the Argentinean coach went by the online poll results or his own strategy, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi were in the starting lineup ahead of Diego Milito and Palacio. Both of them had unusually kept quiet till the first 20 minutes into the game. In the 20th minute, Tevez fired a wonderful left footer which was the closest to scoring in this second Copa semi-final between Mexico and Argentina in Puerto Ordaz in Venezuela. Tevez followed it with another move but was easily dispossessed by the Mexican defence.
Mexican forward Nery Castillo was moving well in the right flank while he was being assisted by Andres Guradado. Both the teams were playing tight football and not conceding an inch till halfway through the first half. Messi and Veron in the 24th minute did some fine passing from the centre as they moved forward before they were dispossessed.
Mexico conceded a free kick in the 25th minute and Riquelme found Ayala and managed to win a corner. The Mexican defence looked a bit shaky on the air but it was easy for Sanchez, the Mexican goal keeper. The spark that was missing in the opening minutes started appearing in the game. Arce won a free kick for Mexico in the 28th minute but quite close to the Argentinean defence.
Half an hour into the clock and still both the teams were goalless. In the 32nd minute, Mexico mounted an attack but was blunted by the Argentinean defence. Veron was booked in the 33rd minute for bringing down Guardado. Castillo, Gerardo Torrado, and Fernando Arce did some fine moves upfront but none of them threatened the Argentinean defence. Guardado got a wonderful chance in the 35th minute. He beautifully moved inside the defence, faked his first shot and then fired his next one but went hit the post. This was clearly the first brighter moments in the first half. In the 36th minute, Riquelme and Tevez moved in from the left and won a corner. Riquelme’s corner kick was too long. In the 38th minute, Messi and Tevez moved forward with their brisk moves from the left but went into a forest of green shirts. Mexico’s central defence had been brilliant till now. Arce had a nice chance in the 40th minute but was wasted. In the 41st minute Argentina crafted a wonderful move from Riquelme and Tevez but Tevez couldn’t beat the Mexican goal keeper.
Riquelme again mounted a counter attack before he was brought down by Torrado and was awarded a free kick. The ball was seemingly travelling way ahead of the far post till Gabriel Hienze came into the picture from nowhere soared into the air, found the ball on his left foot and pushed into the goal in the 44th minute. It was a masterly deception from Juan Roman Riquelme. You would have thought the free kick was going outside the post and Sanchez was completely beaten.
Second Half
Mexico called the shots early on and made promising moves but didn’t find their finishing touches. Arce was brought down in the 47th minute outside the Argentinean defence. He sent a screaming shot but did find the Argentinean goal keeper. Mexico by now had started making substitutions.
Juan Sebastian Veron got past a few Mexican players and fed Messi in the 48th minute and forced a corner but was wasted. Messi was shown a yellow card after diving inside the box. Guardado kept pressing inside the Argentinean defence but his shots were only just hopeful. His shot at the target in the 51st minute raised some hopes for Mexico and also in the 52nd minute but Argentina defended well.
Castillo came dangerously close to scoring for Mexico but was so unlucky when his shot hit the top of the post in the 54th minute. Messi began the counter attack and remarkably won a free kick in the 57th minute in the left flank close to the corner flag. The free kick was thwarted and it was followed by a one-and-two from Messi and Cambiaso. In the 59th minute, Riquelme won a corner from a dangerous position but was easy for Sanchez. In the 60th minute, Lionel Messi received a splendid pass from Tevez on the right flank. He quickly moved in as the Mexican defence was approaching him. And then, he controlled the ball in his left foot, his foot over the ball, took a swift look and chipped the ball beating Sanchez completely in what was to the best goal of the tournament. Riquelme mounted another attack in the 61st minute but was thwarted by the Mexican defence.
In the 64th minute Tevez was brought down inside the box and was awarded a penalty for Argentina. It was Riquelme on the spot and easily found the centre of the net while sending Sanchez to the right. Riquelme has five goals now in the tournament and will compete for the golden boot with Brazil’s Robinho. Tevez and Messi switched flanks in the second half. Rafael Marquez was booked for bringing down Heinze in the 68th minute.
By now Argentina started making substitutions. Fernando Gago replaced Veron in the 77th minute. Tevez came out for Palacio. Messi ran riot in the 78th minute and found Palacio inside the box and unselfishly rolled a brilliant pass but Sanchez saved that brilliant Palacio shot. Guardado fired a volley in the 81st minute but painfully missed it by a whisker. Pineda came in for Correra in the 82nd minute. Riquelme came out in the 86th minute and was replaced by Pablo Aymar. Messi mounted an attack along with Aymar and Palacio in the 91st minute was thwarted by the Mexican defence after which the Argentinean bench couldn’t wait any longer to run into the pitch celebrating their passage into the Copa America final. |
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