Mexico ahead Santiago Gimenez piled reward on team-mate Raul Jimenez after his brace helped them qualify for the Concacaf Nations League last on Thursday.
Jimenez scored within the first and seventy fifth minutes as Mexico beat Canada 2-0 at SoFi Stadium to arrange a last in opposition to Panama, who had earlier overwhelmed the USA 1-0.
Jimenez was, understandably, the toast of his team-mates after the efficiency.
“We had been a crew immediately,” stated Giménez. “We had been a household, and we’re very completely satisfied to be within the last. I feel this cup, we’re coming to win it.”
“For me, it’s an honour to play with Raúl. I feel he’s an excellent striker. I have to study loads [from] him. We’ve a particular connection as a result of we’re strikers which might be doing effectively within the membership. In fact, we haven’t performed within the membership with two strikers, however it was good. I’m actually completely satisfied.”
Having conceded from a set piece virtually instantly, Canada had been additional incensed after being denied a penalty following what seemed like a foul from Edson Alvarez on Derek Cornelius within the penalty space on 9 minutes.
Screens in SoFi Stadium had signalled that VAR was trying on the determination on the identical time the referee signalled for the sport to restart.
“What I feel is inexcusable…is that it’s not at the least checked out by the pinnacle referee, proper?” stated Canada head coach Jesse Marsch. “First it’s known as a foul within the different path which is unusual, as a result of we clearly get contact first. For me, that is the definition of a penalty.”
FT. Our Concacaf Nations League continues with the third place match on Sunday.
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MF. La Ligue des Nations de la Concacaf se poursuit avec un match pour la troisième place ce dimanche.#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/ZeJSq1fESs
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) March 21, 2025
However regardless of defeat, Marsch was happy with how effectively his crew acquitted themselves in opposition to proficient opposition.
“They actually needed to raise the trophy for the nation. It was a knife within the coronary heart to play effectively however then simply brief fall brief. That disappointment is tough to shake.
“I assumed that our guys actually pushed the sport. I assumed we had been organised. We had been the aggressor. We had been on high of many moments. I assumed each man gave a great efficiency, and it’s simply a type of video games the place the bounces simply don’t actually go your method.”
Jimenez made the end result comfy for Mexico with quarter-hour to go, bending in a beautiful free kick from greater than 30 yards out.
Whereas Marsch was clearly disillusioned to be on the dropping aspect, he was capable of see the larger image and appeared optimistic for the long run.
“In so some ways it’s simply one other step the place we’re persevering with to point out our high quality, our organisation, our intelligence, and now it’s just a bit little bit of savvy, a bit of little bit of intelligence that the perfect worldwide groups have,” he stated.