Hazem Ahmed Shehata scored a goal in the first half and Qatar gave the surprise by defeating 1-0 to a Mexico that despite the unexpected setback advanced to the second round of the Concacaf Gold Cup as the top spot in Group B.
As a player to Jaime Lozano he didn’t like to hear about the lessons learned in defeat. As coach of the Mexican national team, the perception of him has changed. Shehata scored the only goal of the match after 27 minutes to give victory to the Qataris who play the CONCACAF national team tournament as guests.
“The game turned out well for us with our approach and our attitude”said the coach of Qatar, the highly experienced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz. “You have to give credit to the concentration of the defense and the attitude of our players for their performance in the match, enduring Mexico for 100 minutes.”
Jaime Lozano, Mexico DT. Photo: AFP
With the result, Mexico saw a chain of two wins broken with Lozano on the bench, but they still finished on top of Group B with six points. Qatar was left with the other ticket to the quarterfinals by closing as second in its area with four units.
“Whenever I lose, I can’t leave in peace, I’m sad and upset because it wasn’t a game to lose, but Qatar did their job, they did what they had to do and we got stuck”Lozano added that weeks ago he took office in replacement of the Argentine Diego Cocca.
Honduras defeated Haiti 2-1 on Sunday and finished with the same crop as Qatar, but a worse goal difference put the Central Americans out of contention. The Haitians finished bottom with three units.
“Since I was a player I don’t like that there are defeats on time, but now I understand that the phrase is true”Lozano said at a press conference. “Just like when we win I try to be calm, now that it’s time to lose you have to sharpen your senses and try to take advantage of this type of situation.”
Hazem Shehata, the hero of Qatar. Photo: AFP
In the second round, Mexico will face the second in Group C, for now Martinique, and Qatar will measure forces against the first, which is Panama. This sector concludes its activity on Tuesday. The quarterfinal match for the Mexicans will be next Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
“I know that the defeat will affect the group, but for the better because I already see them wanting to play, and they all want it to be the next game”added Lozano. “I would also like the next game to be in two days and not in five.”
Lozano, named interim following Cocca’s firing last month, made five changes to the lineup that won the first two games against Honduras and Haiti.
“The idea was to see other players, rest others and take care of some who had cards”Lozano said. “The match was strange, I feel sad for the atmosphere and the expectation that had been generated among the people.”
Ahmed Suhail tries to stop Santiago Giménez. Photo: AFP
Despite this, Mexico dominated possession in the opening minutes at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. But El Tri lacked depth and it was Qatar who took the lead when Mosaab Khoder took advantage of a mistake by full-back Gerardo Arteaga and sent a cross from the right into the area where Shehata connected with a header that entered the right flank of goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
The Mexicans regained control of the match and knocked on the goal for the first time in the 29th minute with a shot from Santiago Giménez that was parried by goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.
Late in the first half, Giménez had another chance to score after a Carlos Rodríguez cross, but his attempt went wide.
He Chaquito Giménez had one more chance in the 51st, but Barsham made a great save to prevent the goal. The Dutch Feyenoord striker once again created danger in the 69th minute with an attempt inside the area that went wide.
El Tri was close to equalizing after 86 minutes with a shot from Edson Álvarez that crashed off the crossbar.
Jesus, America’s hat-trick messiah
Earlier in the day, Jesús Ferreira became the first American to score three goals in consecutive international matches, and the host team thrashed Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 to secure their place in the quarterfinals as top spot in Group A.
Ferreira scored at 14 and 38 minutes and was also in charge of converting a penalty in the third minute of added time in the first half.
In Charlotte, Cade Cowell scored the United States’ fourth goal in the 65th minute, four after coming on, and Gianluca Busio added to the 79th — making their debut goalscorers for the senior team. Brandon Vázquez added his third goal of the tournament in stoppage time.
It was the second victory in a row for the United States with a score of 6-0. They had just beaten Saint Kitts and Nevis by that margin last Wednesday.
Ferreira, 22, the son of former Colombian midfielder David Ferreira, joined Landon Donovan as the only Americans with three hat tricks. Twelve of Ferreira’s 14 international goals have come against Caribbean nations, including four against Grenada in June 2022 and three against Saint Kitts and Nevis.
“When I see his movements and his confidence in the area, you can tell that he is in a moment of grace”said interim United States head coach BJ Callaghan. “All the work he’s doing, helping defend, coming back, helping build the game. For me he is having a complete tournament”.
The United States won Group A on goal difference over Jamaica and advanced to a quarterfinal matchup to be played on July 9 in Cincinnati against Canada, Guatemala or Guadeloupe.
Source: AP
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2023-07-03 13:58:06
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