Mexico into Gold Cup semis as Mora makes history

Alexis Vega scored the important opening extremity aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional to assistance Mexico to a 2-0 triumph implicit Saudi Arabia successful the Gold Cup quarterfinals successful Glendale, Arizona, connected Saturday.

Mexico, which besides benefited from a precocious ain goal, volition present play Honduras successful the semifinals connected Wednesday successful Santa Clara, California, arsenic they look to enactment connected people to clasp their rubric and triumph a record-extending 10th Concacaf crown.

Mexico was without midfielder Luis Chávez aft helium tore his close anterior cruciate ligament successful grooming up of the quarterfinal, portion midfielder César Montes was suspended. Instead manager Javier Aguirre handed a debut to Gilberto Mora, who astatine 16 years, 219 days, became the youngest ever debutant for El Tri.

The holders managed conscionable 1 changeable connected people successful the archetypal fractional arsenic it was frustrated by a Saudi Arabia squad that conceded lone 2 goals, and scored lone two, successful the radical phase.

The hostility escalated conscionable earlier the halftime interruption -- Saudi Arabia's Ali Majrashi and Mexico's Jesús Gallardo were some being shown yellowish cards aft the 2 exchanged shoves.

Gallardo volition beryllium suspended for the semifinal circular due to the fact that helium has excessively galore yellowish cards successful the tournament.

But Aguirre's broadside came retired with renewed intent astatine the commencement of the second. Shortly aft Marcel Ruiz clipped the crossbar, Vega broke the deadlock successful the 49th minute.

After moving onto a done shot from Raúl Jiménez, Vega had his archetypal changeable saved by goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi but the Toluca guardant gleefully snapped up the rebound. While a emblem was raised connected the tract for offside, it didn't instrumentality agelong for VAR to overturn the determination and grant the goal.

It was Vega's seventh extremity for Mexico and ended a 19-game drought with the nationalist team. It besides ended a adust spell for Mexico, which scored for the archetypal clip successful 166 minutes of play. Vega celebrated by holding aloft the jersey of injured teammate Chávez.

With Saudi Arabia incapable to connection immoderate menace going forward, Mexico each but assured its triumph with 9 minutes remaining. As Santiago Gimenez looked to get connected the extremity of a transverse from chap substitute Mateo Chávez, Saudi Arabia defender Abdullah Madu turned the shot past his ain goalkeeper.

The effect ended Saudi Arabia's archetypal quality astatine the Gold Cup.

Mexico progressed to the quarterfinals arsenic radical winners, aft wins implicit the Dominican Republic and Suriname and a gully with Costa Rica. Saudi Arabia finished 2nd successful its radical aft beating Haiti but drafting with Trinidad and Tobago and losing to the United States.

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.