The pressure is rising for manager Jaime Lozano and his future with El Trí hangs in the balance.
A 1-0 win over Jamaica was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Venezuela, who went on to win all three games in the group. The results prior meant that Lozano's side needed all three points against Ecuador to leapfrog them in the group and qualify for the final eight.
Lozano named a similar lineup to the one that narrowly lost to Venezuela, with the only exception that Pumas' Cesar Huerta entered the fray for Cruz Azul's Uriel Antuna. Eyes were on Huerta, Santiago Giménez and Julián Quiñones to light up the attacking display for El Trí, in a game where goals were desperately needed.
As expected given the circumstances, Mexico dominated the game having 20 shots and 7 of those on target. The best chances came from a header at the back post from Giménez who could only balloon it over just before the hour mark and a long-range effort from Quinones which was met by a strong save from Alexander Domínguez in the Ecuadorian net.
As the clock ticked down, Mexico thought they had one last chance with Memo Martínez racing down on goal, but he was brought to the ground by an outstretched Félix Torres tackle. VAR was called into action to review the play which showed that the Corinthians defender managed to get a toe to the ball, and the initial penalty decision was changed to a corner.
Ecuador managed to hold on, playing compact and resilient in defence, limiting Mexico to very few good chances. The result means that Ecuador advanced at the expense of Mexico, decided by goal difference. Next up for the Ecuadorians is a quarter final clash with the reigning World Cup and Copa América champions Argentina.
As for Mexico, question marks will start to surface regarding the future of Jaime Lozano, with many expecting him to be relieved from his position. Next up will be the 2025 Gold Cup before joint-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Canada.