Mexico defeated Haiti 3-1 in the second group stage match on Thursday to qualify for the quarterfinals with the final group match still to be played.
El Tri started off rather slow and the scoreboard stood flat with no goals from both teams at the end of the first half. The fans in the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz, must have been bored when they started their boos.
Soccour came for the goal-hungry spectators when a minute into the second half, Winger Uriel Antuna delivered a cross from the right flank, which striker Henry Martin headed into the net.
Mexico continued to press for more and after 10 minutes, was rewarded with its second goal.
Jesus Gallardo delivered a low-driven cross that would’ve found Orbelin Pineda, but it ended up as an own goal.
Midfielder Danley Jean Jacques scored for Haiti via a header off a corner kick in the 78th minute, capitalizing off a solid stretch of sustained pressure from the Haitian squad. Veteran goalie Guillermo Ochoa couldn’t do anything but watch the ball fall in at the bottom left corner.
Despite Haiti’s attempts to equalize, Mexico sealed the match with the third goal when Antuna, from the right flank, sent the ball to striker Santi Gimenez, who did well to net it inside the net while falling.
That put the game well out of reach for a Haitian side that just didn’t have enough going forward. The Grenadiers had six shots on the night with two hitting the target, which didn’t come anywhere close to Mexico’s 32 shots that saw 10 hit the target.
El Tri also controlled possession 65% of the time and made it two wins in two under interim manager Jaime Lozano. The switch to a 4-3-3 hasn’t always provided the silkiest football, but being on the front foot more often and retaining possession have been pivotal factors in the recent victories.
Mexico earned its sixth win at State Farm Stadium all time, in 12 matches. It has lost only twice with four draws.
“In getting to know the players, I’ve tried to make things easier,” Lozano said in Spanish. “This result doesn’t guarantee anything but the players look content and confident. We had options, we had the ball a lot and we were moving it and doing a lot of damage.”
Mexico will next face Qatar on Sunday, July 2. Haiti is still in second place in Group B, but a loss against Honduras would eliminate the nation from advancing further.
