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Mexico stun Brazil with 2-0 win
NOT TO PLAN:
In the first two days of the championship none of the favorites has been able to turn on any supposed supremacy, with Uruguay already beaten by Peru
Friday, Jun 29, 2007, Page 22
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Brazil's Robinho, right, vies for the ball with Mexico goalkeeper Osvaldo Sanchez during their Copa America Group B match in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, on Wednesday.
PHOTO: AFP
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AP, MARACAIBO, Venezuela
Day two of the Copa America and the tournament heavyweights continue to struggle.
An ailing Mexican team missing several regular starters due to injury stunned defending champions Brazil 2-0 on Wednesday, thanks to an incredible second-half performance by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Despite missing all-time scoring leader Jared Borgetti, who injured in his left leg on Sunday in the Gold Cup final loss to the US, Mexico put an unknown Brazilian team on alert early.
Nery Castillo re-gathered his own chip over the head of the last Brazilian defender to score in the 23rd minute and a free kick by Roman Morales put El Tri 2-0 up at half-time.
After that Ochoa, taking over in goal for Oswaldo Sanchez, made a series of incredible saves to preserve the win.
Real Madrid forward Robinho, who put the ball over the crossbar with a first-half bicycle kick, also saw an angled shot deflected by Ochoa.
Both teams were fielding junior teams. In addition to Borgetti, three other regular starters asked to be rested from coach Hugo Sanchez's roster following the Gold Cup loss.
Andres Guardado, who traveled to Venezuela after leaving Sunday's match in Chicago with a concussion, didn't see action against Brazil.
Earlier, Chile rallied with two goals in the last 10 minutes for a 3-2 win over a veteran Ecuador, who came to Venezuela seeking to continue the strong play that saw them qualify for the past two World Cups.
Humberto Suazo scored in the 21st and 80th minutes for Chile, while Ecuador, knocked out of last year's World Cup in the second round by England, got goals from Antonio Valencia in the 16th minute and Segundo Castillo in the 23rd.
Afterward, a distressed Ecuador coach, Luis Fernando Suarez, said he was "dumbfounded" by the last-minute reversal.
In the first two days of the South American championship, none of the favorites going into the tournament have been able to turn on their supposed supremacy.
In the Group A matchups on Tuesday, Peru upset a lifeless Uruguay 3-0 and host Venezuela's home crowd was good enough only for a 2-2 draw against relatively weak rivals Bolivia.
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