The coronation took a lot longer than the sellout crowd of 78,807 at the New Meadowlands Stadium expected.
But the El Tri faithful went home happy, even if they were a bit nervous in the first half, as Mexico rallied to beat Guatemala, 2-1, in a Gold Cup quarterfinal last night.
After Philadelphia Union striker Carlos Ruiz put Guatemala shockingly in front on five minutes, Aldo De Nigris equalized three minutes into the second half and Manchester United sensation Javier (Chicharito) Hernandez booked Mexico’s ticket to Wednesday’s semifinals at Reliant Stadium with a 66th-minute goal.
“We know this time was a little bit different than the other games when we started to score first,” Chicharito said. “But I knew we needed to change our mind, to look forward and to try to work hard. In the second half we had a lot more chances and where we could get the goal.”
The defending Gold Cup champions will meet Honduras, which advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks after playing Costa Rica to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.
“I expect the same from Honduras, just like Guatemala,” Mexican captain Rafa Marquez said. “Maybe it will be more difficult because they’re physically stronger and it makes them more competitive.”
Marquez gave Red Bulls fans a scare in the 55th when he flew in the air and writhed on the turf in pain after a shocking studs-up challenge from Wilfred Velasquez, who only received a yellow card.
“It was a dangerous challenge, but luckily it didn’t result in injury,” Marquez said. “You have to avoid those types of plays and we need to start sanctioning those plays with something stronger.”
For the first time this tournament, Mexico trailed at halftime, but El Tri has dealt with hardship off the pitch, with the suspension of five players who failed a drugs test, and last night was its first such challenge on the pitch.
“This team knows it can win against any adversity if it wants to be a champion,” Mexican coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said. “We knew that it was a difficult match and we would have a difficult opponent. The early goal complicated things. We didn’t anticipate it. That gave the rival more strength and that picks at you little by little, but the team didn’t panic and was able to resolve the issue.”
First it was the equalizer by De Nigris, who came on at halftime for Israel Castro and hammered home a second rebound in front of goal. And then Chicharito followed, taking a pass from Pablo Barrera, and touching the ball into the net for his tournament-leading sixth goal.
“The goal was instinct that I only thought when I had the ball at my feet and thank God the ball went into the net,” Chicharito said.
The goal also put the sellout crowd, many clad in green, at ease that they weren’t going to witness one of the greatest upsets in Gold Cup history.
Instead, they celebrated another Mexican win, a victory that brings the CONCACAF powerhouse one step closer to the Gold Cup finals at the Rose Bowl.
“I think the team kept working,” Marquez said. “We were trying to look for a goal and luckily we scored on two opportunities that we had.”