HOUSTON: Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa saved from Costa Rica’s Keysher Fuller in a sudden death shootout to put his side into the Gold Cup semi-final after a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Mexico, roared on by the vast majority of the 71,000-strong crowd at the NRG stadium, opened the scoring a minute before halftime when Raul Jimenez found space among five defenders in the box to spin and fire home a low drive.
Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz levelled seven minutes into the second half when he slotted home a penalty and neither team were able to score in extra time. After both sides netted four penalties from their first five kicks Carlos Salcedo was successful with the first of sudden death before Ochoa’s save from Fuller put Mexico through 5-4.
“Mexico played football out there tonight,” said coach Gerardo Martino. “We deserved to win because of our football. Guillermo Ochoa made the save of the game but everyone was sensational tonight.”
Mexico will play Haiti, who beat Canada 3-2 earlier on Saturday, in Glendale, Arizona on July 2 for a place in the final.
Haiti came back from two goals down at halftime to score three times in a superb second half and knock Canada out of the tournament.
Jonathan David and Lucas Cavallini, who between them had scored nine goals in their last three games, added another one each in the first half as Canada dominated the early part of the quarter-final in Houston, Texas.
But the Haitians, who won all three of their group games, turned the tables with a blistering second half performance to reach the semis for the first time since the tournament changed to its current format in 1991.
The comeback began five minutes after the break when Duckens Nazon took advantage of a poor pass back from Marcus Godinho to score and then Herve Bazile equalised from the spot after 70 minutes.
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