Raul Jimenez on Wednesday scored in the 50th minute off an assist from 16-year-old Gilberto Mora as Mexico advanced to their 12th CONCACAF Gold Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Honduras.
El Tri advanced to play the US in the final on Sunday in Houston, Texas.
Mexico broke through early in the second half on a play started by Alexis Vega with a pass to Mora near the top of the area. Mora slid a pass to Jimenez, who beat Edrick Menjivar with a right-footed shot for his 42nd career international goal.
Photo: EPA
No. 17 ranked Mexico appeared to add to that lead a few minutes later when Edson Alvarez tapped in a goal off a set-piece, but that was negated when video review ruled he was offside.
“We had a deserved victory,” coach Javier Aguirre said through an interpreter.
Mexico have not allowed a goal in 383 minutes and goalkeeper Luis Malagon has had to make only one save in their past three matches — an easy stop on Dixon Ramirez’s shot from outside the area late in the first half.
Photo: AFP
Honduras advanced to the semi-finals for the first time since 2013 despite losing the opener of the tournament 6-0 to Canada. They have not made the final since the inaugural tournament in 1991, when they lost in a penalty shoot-out to the US.
Sunday’s final is to be the eighth meeting in the title game between the two countries. Mexico have a 5-2 edge.
Mexico have won nine Gold Cups, the US seven and Canada one.
The US reached the final earlier on Wednesday after Diego Luna scored twice in the first 15 minutes to lead his side to a 2-1 win over Guatemala.
Luna put the US ahead with a left-footed shot in the fourth minute, then scored with his right in the 15th minute for his third goal in two games.
Olger Escobar, an 18-year-old who was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, cut inside and slid a shot from inside the area between Matt Freese and the far post in the 80th minute for his second goal of the tournament.
Freese parried Jose Morales’ shot toward the far post in the second minute of stoppage-time.
Guatemala, who have never reached the final, outshot the US 13-1 in the last 30 minutes of the first half and 20-12 in the game before a pro-Guatemala sellout crowd of 22,423 at Energizer Park in St Louis, Missouri.
Luna got his first goal after Alex Freeman crossed for Malik Tillman. He touched the ball to Luca de la Torre, whose shot was spilled by goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro. Luna reacted quickly and switched the ball from his right foot to his left, then shot over Navarro’s outstretched right hand.
Eleven minutes later, Luna received a cross-field pass from Tillman about 40m out, dribbled in, got by defender Jose Carlos Pinto and put the ball inside the near post from the edge of the area.
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