LOS ANGELES - Marvin Avila scored two second-half goals as Guatemala stunned Mexico 3-2 in an international friendly at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday.
Before a largely pro-Mexico crowd of 42,349, Guatemala beat Mexico for the first time since 1969.
Each team finished the match with nine players. Mexico's Cesar Villaluz and Gonzalo Pineda were sent off while Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz and Leonel Noriega were also shown red cards in the second half. Additionally, Guatemala coach Hernan Dario Gomez saw red after furiously protesting Pineda's elbow on Guatemala's Mario Rodriguez, which got him ejected.
Villaluz and Carlos Vela scored for Mexico while Rigoberto Gomez scored Guatemala's first goal.
With a squad of experienced national team players, Guatemala settled into an early rhythm far sooner than Mexico. It paid off with an early goal that stunned the pro-Mexico crowd.
Carlos Ruiz found himself with the ball on the left side of the penalty area. With Rigoberto Gomez in the center of the six-yard box, Ruiz instead crossed to Marvin Avila on the right side of the area. Gomez then slotted a pass to Gomez, who slammed the ball into the back of the net.
Guatemala continued to knock the ball around effectively but couldn't manage another clear scoring chance.
Mexico finally took advantage of some Guatemalan miscues on the half-hour mark to get on the scoreboard.
First, Carlos Vela found himself with room to shoot inside the penalty area after defender Pablo Melgar fell a few yards in front of him. Guatemalan 'keeper Paulo Cesar Motta leaned the wrong way on Vela's attempt and the ball bounced over the goal line.
Then, Cesar Villaluz latched onto a poor clearance and ripped a shot into the back of the net from just inside the penalty area not one minute later. Suddenly, Mexico held a 2-1 advantage.
In the second half, the red cards started flying. Eight minutes into the second half, Villaluz and Ruiz were sent off after an altercation. Villaluz apparently tried to step on Gomez after a challenge. Players from both teams immediately intervened and Ruiz was sent off as players appeared to throw punches.
In the 61st minute, each side lost another figure. Gonzalo Pineda elbowed Mario Rodriguez in front of the Guatemalan bench. The move apparently infuriated coach Hernan Dario "Bolillo" Gomez, who had to be restrained after he left the bench and stepped onto the field to protest the call. Pineda received a red card after the match official, Ricardo Salazar, talked to the assistant referee. "Bolillo" Gomez was also sent off.
With a man advantage, Guatemala quickly capitalized as Avila equalized. On a corner kick, Yony Martinez hit a bicycle-kick pass from the top the penalty area to the left side of the box. An unmarked Avila slammed a shot off the right post and over the goal line.
Avila struck again. With a quarter hour left, Gomez sent in a cross near the right corner to the near post. Mexico defender Hector Moreno slipped and Avila slipped the ball past Ochoa.
Guatemala's Leonel Noriega was sent off in the 84th minute as both teams finished the match with nine men.
The move, though, did not help Mexico much as the Guatemalans' defense stood firm the rest of the way.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
