Jared Borgetti scored in the seventh minute of extra time to lead Mexico to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in a quarterfinal match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Sunday at a sold-out Reliant Stadium.
Borgetti's goal was a long-time coming, as Costa Rican goalkeeper Jose Francisco Porras stoned the Mexicans for long stretches, making a total of seven saves on the night. The Tricolores got some assistance from the Costa Ricans, who had three men sent off, two in extra time.
Mexico advances to the semifinals Thursday in Chicago, where they will face either Honduras or Guadeloupe.
Mexico nearly got on the board in the eight minute, but a shot by Alberto Medina was blocked and bounced to Costa Rican goalkeeper Jose Francisco Porras. Costa Rica went right back down the field, but Alvaro Saborio's header went over the Mexican goal.
The Ticos had several disagreements with referee Terry Vaughn, starting in the 13th minute when Gabriel Badilla was booked. Four minutes later, Jervis Drummond had his name written down.
Allan Aleman was issued yellow cards in the 39th and 43rd minutes, both for dissent. With the second, Aleman was sent off, forcing Costa Rica to play a man down the rest of the way.
Mexico tried to capitalize on the free kick after Badilla's yellow as Carlos Salcido took a shot after Porras deflected the initial effort. A Costa Rican defender blocked Salcido's shot, though, and Porras grabbed the loose ball.
In the 20th minute, Andres Nunez shot high from outside the box. Mexico charged back down the field and Omar Bravo got his head on a cross at the near post, but it went straight up in the air and was corralled by Porras.
Early in the second half, the momentum was all in the favor of the Mexicans.
Gerardo Torrado had an opportunity to give Mexico the lead in the 51st minute, but Porras made a diving save to his right to stop Torrado's free kick from the outside the left corner of the area. Five minutes later, Porras made another diving save, this time on a shot by a hard-charging Medina from the right side of the box.
In the 59th minute, Bravo had a header from the near post go up in the air and fall in front of the goal before it was cleared by Costa Rica.
In the following 10 minutes, Borgetti sent two attempts wide of the net, Jaime Lozano fired a bullet that Porras saved, and Salcido forced another diving stop from the Costa Rican 'keeper. The only respite for the Central Americans was a tame Michael Barrantes shot that Mexican 'keeper Oswaldo Sanchez easily grabbed.
After lengthy battling in the midfield, the Costa Ricans threatened. Saborio fired a bullet from the restraining arc over the goal in the 86th minute, and Sanchez was called on to stop a header from Badilla.
Future Chicago Fire forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco nearly won the match for Mexico at the death with a sharp turnaround shot, but Porras dove to deflect the ball over the goal and send the quarterfinal match to extra time.
In the 94th minute, Borgetti missed another header high from just outside the goal box, and he was whistled for offsides a minute later to halt a Mexico attack. But he made up for those mistakes in the 97th minute with the eventual game-winner. Borgetti met a cross from Adolfo Bautista in front of the goal and headed it into the right side of the net to give Mexico the lead.
Mexico nearly added another goal in the next minute as Ricardo Osorio fired away from the right side of the area; Porras made a leaping save to knock the ball over the bar. Mexico continued to try to add to their lead as Borgetti took a cross from Bautista in front of the goal in the 105th minute and nearly slipped it inside the far post, but Porras made another diving stop to keep it a 1-0 deficit.
In the first period of extra time, tempers continued to flare between the two squads as Costa Rica's Randall Azofeifa and Mexico's Osorio were issued yellow cards in the 100th minute. Four minutes later, Saborio was sent off, meaning Costa Rica had to play the final 16 minutes two men down.
Costa Rica had an attempt at tying it in the 113th minute as Badilla headed over the bar. In the next two minutes, Bautista tried to extend the Mexico lead, each time he was denied by Porras.
In the final minute, Costa Rica had one last chance at tying it, but a free kick by Azofeifa from midfield was caught by Sanchez. Moments later, Mario Camacho was sent off for Costa Rica, sealing the Ticos' fate.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
