Mexico overcomes 2-goal deficit, reaches CONCACAF Nations League semifinals with US, Canada, Panama
Mexico overcame a two-goal, first-leg deficit and reached the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals with a 4-0 win over Honduras at Toluca on Tuesday night behind two goals from Henry Martín and one each from Raúl Jiménez and Jorge Sánchez.
With the 4-2 aggregate victory in the quarterfinal, Mexico advanced to play Canada on March 20 at Inglewood, California. The three-time defending champion United States faces Panama in the first game of the semifinals doubleheader.
At Toronto, Jonathan David got his record 31st goal for Canada and Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice in a 3-0 win over Suriname for a 4-0 aggregate victory.
With Mexico coming off a 2-0 loss in the first leg on Friday at San Pedro Sula, Jiménez started the comeback in the 42nd minute when he scored from Jesús Orozco’s cross for his 35th international goal.
Martín tied the aggregate in the 72nd after Jiménez headed Alexis Vega’s corner kick across the goal mouth. Sánchez scored in the 85th, chesting Vega’s cross and putting a right-foot shot over goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar from 7 yards.
Martín converted a penalty kick in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time for his 11th international goal after Kervin Arriaga was called for tripping Martín near the top of the penalty area by Canadian referee Drew Fischer.
In Canada, David put the hosts ahead in the 23rd minute after an attempted clearance following a corner kick rebounded to him off Shaffelburg. With his fourth goal in six games, David moved past Cyle Latin for Canada’s career scoring lead.
Shaffelburg beat goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen to a long ball from Moïse Bombito in the 30th, rounded the keeper and scored into an empty net. Shaffelburg scored from a Larin cross in the 67th minute, his sixth international goal.
Larin hit a post in the 80th minute, prompting a premature in-stadium fireworks celebration and Larin to fall over in disbelief.
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