International Football
Poor Mexico! A run of seven successive Round of 16 terminated on goal difference
Mexico scored twice in five second-half minutes in a thrilling last-ditch bid to stay in the World Cup on Wednesday, beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 but agonisingly missing out on the last 16 on goal difference.
In the most exciting group finale of the World Cup, goals from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez catapulted Mexico back into contention, but a string of spectacular stops by Saudi keeper Mohamed Al-Owais and two disallowed efforts denied them the elusive third goal they needed to advance.
The Mexican rally took the battle for Group C down to the wire in a breathtaking half, where at one stage it looked like the Central American side would miss out to Poland for having more yellow cards, but Saudi striker Salem Al-Dawsari netted in stoppage time to make goal difference the decider.
Mexico’s exit ended a run of seven successive last-16 appearances at the World Cup and defeat for Saudi Arabia killed off what was a realistic chance of them advancing from the group stages for the first time in 28 years.
Having failed to score in their opening two Group C matches, Mexico’s chances of progressing had looked slim going into the match, hinging on the outcome of the game between Argentina and Poland which Argentina won 2-0 to top the group.
“It’s a hard blow, there are no words,” said Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez.
“The team went out looking for it from the start and we had a lot of chances. But we couldn’t score and that leaves a bitter taste.”
DESPERATE TACTICS
Urgently needing to beef up their goal difference, Mexico took the game to Saudi Arabia from the start and never stopped running, peppering the goal with speculative long-range efforts in a desperate bid to wrest control of their own fate.
Orbelin Pineda and Chavez were the engines for Mexico in a high-octane match that the Saudis struggled to get into, defending chaotically and failing to create chances on the break as Mexico pressed for goals to match Poland’s tally.
Mexico were aggressive on the attack with a staggering 24 shots on goal, eight on target, demonstrating the pivotal role of goalkeeper Al-Owais in denying them a place in the last 16.
Pineda was the catalyst for the Mexican revival with a low shot saved, a diving header blocked and a long-range strike deflected wide of the post early on.
His team broke the deadlock two minutes after halftime, when Cesar Montes’s deft back-heel from a corner found Martin who bundled the ball over the line in a crowded goalmouth.
They doubled the lead on 52 minutes when Chavez’s powerful free kick 20 metres out sailed blissfully into the corner of the goal, prompting the Mexican bench to burst onto the field in a frenzy of wild celebration.
It was an emotional rollercoaster in the closing stages. Hirving Lozano found the net but had his effort disallowed and Mexico battled hard for the decisive third but were denied constantly by the reflexes of Al-Owais in the Saudi goal.
Substitute Uriel Antuna had a late effort ruled out for offside four minutes from time before Al-Dawsari shattered Mexican hopes when he grabbed a Saudi consolation goal deep into stoppage time.
Lozano apologised to Mexico fans for not doing enough in the first two matches.
“We could have done more, but that’s football,” he said.
“I always live the games to the maximum, always giving myself every game, every ball … but well, the results didn’t come.”
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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