Mexico defeat Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 win to reach the semi-finals of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Toluca’s Alexis Vega opened the scoring after his initial effort was saved by Nawaf Alaqidi, but the Al Fateh goalkeeper could only push the ball back into the path of the Liga MX Clausura champion, who made no mistake on the rebound.
As the game neared its conclusion, El Trí continued to press and finally got their reward when Mateo Chávez whipped a ball into the box. Although it missed the intended target, Raúl Jiménez, it deflected off Abdullah Madu and into his own net.
What ultimately turned into a comfortable win for Mexico was driven by some notable changes to the starting XI. Manager Javier Aguirre appears to still be experimenting with his strongest lineup, handing a start to Bournemouth’s Julián Araujo and giving a debut to 16-year-old Tijuana prospect Gilberto Mora.
The win means that Mexico stay on course for a record-breaking tenth Gold Cup title and head to the semi-final. Following the results last night, Aguirre's men will face Honduras in the final four, a familiar foe who caused an upset in Arizona by sending Panama packing with a penalty shootout win.
Mexico vs Honduras: Revenge or Resilience
Mexico and Honduras have faced off four times in the last two years, meeting in back-to-back quarter-final clashes in the Concacaf Nations League. On both occasions, Honduras claimed victory in the home leg, only to suffer heartbreak in the return fixture on Mexican soil.
Mexico vs Honduras: semi-final information
Mexico vs Honduras: Wednesday 3 July (20:00 CST), Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California.
Who will advance to the grand finale? Let us know!