Uriel Antuna's late goal helps Mexico beat Bermuda in Nations League

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:19 am
Uriel Antuna scored a late goal to give Mexico a win over Bermuda.
VICTOR CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Uriel Antuna snatched an injury-time victory for Mexico on Tuesday in CONCACAF Nations League action, with El Tri winning 2-1 after a frustrating display against a resilient Bermuda in Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Dante Leverock opened the scoring from a corner in the 10th minute, but the Caribbean nation was able to hold on after Sebastian Cordova had leveled for Mexico in the 27th, until Antuna netted from close range in the 93rd.

The result means Mexico finished top of Group B of League A with a perfect record and will play Costa Rica in the semifinal of the tournament next June.

Mexico coach Gerado "Tata" Martino said wasn't too disappointed with his side's overall performance.

"The game was as I expected it to be. We were the protagonist and played in the final 30 meters. But we needed better circulation, speed and variety," Martino said.

Martino also pointed out that he fielded a young Mexican starting XI and confirmed that he hadn't planned to use Raul Jimenez, Rodolfo Pizarro or Roberto Alvarado off the bench as El Tri looked for a winning goal.

Bermuda would've qualified for the 2021 Gold Cup and finished ahead of Panama in the group, maintaining its status in League A of the next Nations League, but Antuna's late goal ruined a famous result for a nation that is ranked 168th in the world by FIFA and has only 62,000 inhabitants.

"It's heartbreak with the goal in the last minute. It's not the way we wanted to finish the game today," Bermuda coach Kyle Lightbourne said. 

Mexico outshoot Bermuda 26-6 and went close to adding its second with regularity, but Bermuda also almost took the lead when Nahki Wells went through on goal in the 88th and shot just wide.

Martino, who made nine changes from the team that defeated Panama 3-0 last Friday, was forced to put on Jimenez with 20 minutes to go in search of the winner.

The game was El Tri's final match of 2019, with Martino's team ending his first year in charge with only one defeat.