Mexico suffered an agonising exit from the World Cup on objective distinction on Wednesday regardless of beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in a dramatic finale to Group C.
Second-half objectives from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez secured victory for Mexico however they completed third behind Poland after Salem Al-Dawsari’s late strike.
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Mexico desperately pushed for a 3rd objective in an effort to enhance their objective distinction as they confronted elimination on FIFA honest play guidelines.
The groups drew 0-0 of their opening match with one another, which means their head-to-head file couldn’t cut up the groups and resolve who progresses.
Therefore, the pair have been set to be cut up primarily based on honest play information – aka which workforce had fewer purple and yellow playing cards by means of the event.
A yellow card is valued at one-point. An oblique purple card (two yellows in succession) counts as three factors. A straight purple is 4 factors, whereas a yellow card adopted by a direct purple card is a whopping 5 factors. The workforce with the fewest mixed factors from their video games – aka the cleaner file – progresses.
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Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina of their opening match was one of many World Cup’s nice upsets, however they crashed again all the way down to earth with a 2-0 loss to Poland of their second recreation.
Coach Herve Renard urged his gamers to point out that was no flash within the pan and write themselves into Saudi soccer historical past by reaching knockout rounds for the primary time since 1994.
Having did not win both of their first two group video games for the primary time in 44 years, Mexico knew victory was important in the event that they have been to face an opportunity of reaching the final 16 at an eighth successive World Cup.
Mexico boss Gerardo Martino ditched the again 5 he used within the 2-0 loss to Argentina and introduced in Martin to guide the assault.
It virtually reaped speedy rewards however Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais raced out to dam Alexis Vega after he was slipped in behind the defence by Hirving Lozano.
Al-Owais, one of many heroes of the 2-1 win over Argentina, tentatively palmed away a bouncing cross forward of a lunging Martin and held weak makes an attempt by Chavez and Orbelin Pineda.
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Mohamed Kanno whipped a free-kick simply over for Saudi Arabia, who noticed defender Ali Al-Bulayhi compelled off with harm — including to their mounting casualty record.
Mexico continued to assault with out success and Ali Al-Hassan almost despatched the majority of the largely Saudi crowd wild late within the first half with a diving header that flashed broad of the far publish.
Chavez examined Al-Owais proper after the interval and Martin quickly broke the impasse as he turned in from shut vary following Cesar Montes’ intelligent flick-on at a nook.
Mexico’s second objective arrived simply 5 minutes later when Chavez sensationally curled a free-kick into the highest nook from 30 metres.
Keeping an eye fixed on the rating between Argentina and Poland, Mexico pushed relentlessly for a 3rd objective, with Lozano’s effort dominated out for a decent offside.
Martin blazed over when he had a wonderful probability and Chavez had one other free-kick turned away by Al-Owais, who additionally sprawled to his proper to claw out a drive from Lozano.
Uriel Antuna then had one other objective disallowed for offside earlier than Al-Dawsari’s late strike put an finish to the drama.
