- Ángel Sepúlveda (22')
- Edson Álvarez (90'+1')
Mexico hangs on for nervy win against Curacao, tops Group C
Mexico hung on for a nervy 2-0 victory against already-eliminated Curacao to win Group C in its Gold Cup round-robin finale on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.
Coming off a lackluster 0-0 draw with Jamaica in its second group match, Mexico were in need of a good showing and three points in order to top Group C.
And after a slow start in the first 20 minutes -- that included two quality chances for Curacao -- Mexico finally scored a goal with Angel Sepulveda's perfect header at the far post from a Raul Lopez cross.
Sepulveda had a chance at his second just before the half-hour mark, settling a poor Curacao clearance and lashing a line-drive volley that Eloy Room did well to save.
Curacao opened the second half on the front foot, with Aston Villa's Leandro Bacuna going close with a headed shot in the 53nd minute.
Jesus Corona then faced a flurry of activity in the 55th minute, denying Bacuna from close range before just tipping a volley from the rebound over the bar.
Mexico substitute Elias Hernandez had two chances to double his team's lead, but a right-footed shot in the 81st minute and a close-range header shortly after were both turned away by Room, who was stellar in the Curacao goal.
Edson Alvarez sealed the win for Mexico in second-half stoppage time, collecting a loose ball in the Curacao area and calmly slotting home past Room to secure the points and top spot in the group.
Game Information
Concacaf Gold Cup Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panama | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 7 |
Costa Rica | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
Martinique | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
El Salvador | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 2 |