Mexico suffers disappointing 0-0 draw with 10-man Guatemala in Gold Cup
Any positive feelings from Mexico's 6-0 rout of Cuba in its Gold Cup opener were washed away Sunday with a disappointing 0-0 draw against 10-man Guatemala at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
El Tri failed to score in a Gold Cup match for the first time since 2003 and now sit in second place in Group C with four points, two points behind surprise leader Trinidad and Tobago, a 2-0 winner over Cuba earlier on Sunday.
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Mexico limped into the tournament with a seven-game winless streak but got to kick off its Gold Cup last Thursday with the perfect opponent – a Cuban side forced to play without seven players due to visa issues and one defection. The Mexicans happily preyed upon Cuba, pushing for goals until the very last minute to leave Chicago feeling good about themselves.
They experienced nothing but frustration on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz. Mexico outshot Guatemala 19-3 but had its best chances turned away by goalkeeper Paulo Motta and a keeper's best friend – the crossbar.
In the 34th minute, Andres Guardado sneaked behind the Guatemalan defense with a back-post run and got his left foot on a cross by Oribe Peralta. But Guardado's point-blank attempt was kicked away by Motta.
El Tri missed another opportunity in the 75th minute when Guardado's free kick was headed down in the box by Hector Herrera right to the feet of Peralta. However, the striker, who scored a hat trick against Cuba, didn't get all of the ball, meekly pushing his one-timed shot straight at Motta.
A minute later, the Mexicans were given a golden chance to gain all three points when Guatemala midfielder Jose Contreras was sent off for picking up his second yellow card in two minutes. Mexico pressed for the winner in the final 14 minutes but the closest it would come was a rocket off the bar by Carlos Esquivel.
As the final seconds wound down, Miguel Herrera looked like a coach desperately searching for answers as he could only shrug his shoulders. He'll have to solve Mexico's problems come Wednesday. El Tri can still win the group if they beat Trinidad and Tobago in Charlotte, N.C.
