Mexico rallies to draw 2:2 with Canada, still short of final round of qualifying
10/15/2008 - EDMONTON, Canada – Substitute Mattias Vuoso’s goal in the 64th minute helped Mexico earn a 2:2 draw with Canada Wednesday night, delaying until the final day which two teams will advance from Group B to the final round of World Cup qualifying.
Carlos Salcido added the other goal for Mexico, which failed to clinch a berth in the six-team “hexagonal” for the second time in five days.
Tomasz Radzinski and Ali Gerba scored for Canada, which was eliminated with its 3:1 loss at Honduras on Saturday.
With the draw before 14,145 at Commonwealth Stadium , Mexico moves alone atop Group B with 10 points, one ahead of Honduras and three ahead of Jamaica, which won its second straight earlier Wednesday, 1:0 over Honduras in Kingston.
All four teams will have just over a month off to prepare for the critical final match.
Mexico will have a third opportunity to clinch a spot when it heads to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras on 19 November, while Jamaica hopes to cap its stellar run with a home win over Canada.
Mexico came into the match having lost 1:0 in Jamaica on Saturday. Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side could have clinched a spot with a win, but met a Canadian side determined to salvage something from its failed qualifying campaign
"Today we played football," Eriksson said. "If we did that against Jamaica then we would have qualified by now. Today was much much better.
"Canada did well. It can't be easy to play when you can't qualify for the World Cup. They fought and played well. We make life difficult for oursleves." With temperatures hovering around 6 degrees Celsius (42 Fahrenheit) at kickoff, the Canadians offered a stiff resistance and led twice.
Despite missing three key members of its midfield in Dwayne De Rosario, who was not selected, and Atiba Hutchinson and Julian de Guzman to injury, Canada came out strong from the start , holding possession and creating some good scoring opportunities.
Gerba put Canada ahead in the 13th minute, taking a redirected pass from Mike Klukowski at the top of the penalty area, corralling the ball and beating diving Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez with a high strike from 25 yards.
With the goal, Gerba became only the second Canadian to score six goals in a calendar year. It also marked the first time Canada has scored in seven consecutive World Cup qualifying matches.
But a disputed call against Canada enabled Salcido draw Mexico even in the 35th minute.
Canadian Marcel De Jong and Mexican Gerrardo Torrado collided outside the top of the penalty area on a 50-50 ball, but referee Enrico Wijngaarde of Suriname called a foul on de Jong.
On the ensuing free kick, Salcido’s shot deflected off Patrice Bernier in the Canadian wall and eluded Lars Hirschfeld.
"It was a good game, maybe we could have had a win," Canada coach Dale Mitchell said. "I was a little disappointed with the first goal (Salcido). De Jong tries to head the ball away and gets clattered, yet the foul is against us." Radzinski restored Canada’s lead in the 50th, tapping in a Gerba cross from the right flank.
But just 14 minutes later, Vuoso, who entered the game nine minutes earlier, tied the game again on a header in the penalty area off a cross from Giovanni Dos Santos.
Carlos Salcido added the other goal for Mexico, which failed to clinch a berth in the six-team “hexagonal” for the second time in five days.
Tomasz Radzinski and Ali Gerba scored for Canada, which was eliminated with its 3:1 loss at Honduras on Saturday.
With the draw before 14,145 at Commonwealth Stadium , Mexico moves alone atop Group B with 10 points, one ahead of Honduras and three ahead of Jamaica, which won its second straight earlier Wednesday, 1:0 over Honduras in Kingston.
All four teams will have just over a month off to prepare for the critical final match.
Mexico will have a third opportunity to clinch a spot when it heads to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras on 19 November, while Jamaica hopes to cap its stellar run with a home win over Canada.
Mexico came into the match having lost 1:0 in Jamaica on Saturday. Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side could have clinched a spot with a win, but met a Canadian side determined to salvage something from its failed qualifying campaign
"Today we played football," Eriksson said. "If we did that against Jamaica then we would have qualified by now. Today was much much better.
"Canada did well. It can't be easy to play when you can't qualify for the World Cup. They fought and played well. We make life difficult for oursleves." With temperatures hovering around 6 degrees Celsius (42 Fahrenheit) at kickoff, the Canadians offered a stiff resistance and led twice.
Despite missing three key members of its midfield in Dwayne De Rosario, who was not selected, and Atiba Hutchinson and Julian de Guzman to injury, Canada came out strong from the start , holding possession and creating some good scoring opportunities.
Gerba put Canada ahead in the 13th minute, taking a redirected pass from Mike Klukowski at the top of the penalty area, corralling the ball and beating diving Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez with a high strike from 25 yards.
With the goal, Gerba became only the second Canadian to score six goals in a calendar year. It also marked the first time Canada has scored in seven consecutive World Cup qualifying matches.
But a disputed call against Canada enabled Salcido draw Mexico even in the 35th minute.
Canadian Marcel De Jong and Mexican Gerrardo Torrado collided outside the top of the penalty area on a 50-50 ball, but referee Enrico Wijngaarde of Suriname called a foul on de Jong.
On the ensuing free kick, Salcido’s shot deflected off Patrice Bernier in the Canadian wall and eluded Lars Hirschfeld.
"It was a good game, maybe we could have had a win," Canada coach Dale Mitchell said. "I was a little disappointed with the first goal (Salcido). De Jong tries to head the ball away and gets clattered, yet the foul is against us." Radzinski restored Canada’s lead in the 50th, tapping in a Gerba cross from the right flank.
But just 14 minutes later, Vuoso, who entered the game nine minutes earlier, tied the game again on a header in the penalty area off a cross from Giovanni Dos Santos.
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