Trinidad and Tobago wins Gold Cup group with 4-4 draw against Mexico
Trinidad and Tobago’s Keron Cummings (20) celebrates one of his two goals against Mexico with teammates during a Gold Cup group game on Wednesday night in Charlotte, N.C.
Two goals in stoppage time led to a 4-4 draw between Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday night in their final group match at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Tied 3-3 through regulation, Mexico pulled ahead on an own goal by Trinidad and Tobago defender Cordell Cato in the first minute of extra play. With less than a minute left, Trinidad and Tobago’s Yohance Marshall headed in a corner kick to tie the match.
Trinidad and Tobago (2-0-1, 7 points) took Group C’s top seed into the quarterfinals, and will face Panama on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Mexico (1-0-2, 5 points) will play Costa Rica in the second quarterfinal game Sunday.
Mexico, which has won six Gold Cup titles, took a 1-0 halftime lead on Paul Aguilar’s goal in the 32nd minute, and pulled ahead 2-0 on Carlos Vega’s shot off the left post in the 51st minute.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Keron Cummings and Kenwyne Jones scored in a 3-minute span to tie the match in the 58th minute. Cummings’ second goal, in the 67th minute, put Trinidad and Tobago ahead 3-2.
Mexico made it 3-3 on Andres Guardado’s 25-yarder in the 88th minute.
In the other Group C game Wednesday, Maikel Reyes scored on a header in the 73rd minute to lift Cuba to a 1-0 win over Guatemala.
Cuba (1-2-0) advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will play the United States on Saturday in Baltimore, Md.
Cuba’s first goal of the tournament came when Alberto Gomez sent a crossing pass in the center of the box to Reyes, who headed the ball past Paulo Motta. Reyes ripped off his jersey in celebration.
Cuba won despite playing without four players.
Keiler Garcia and Arael Arguellez defected earlier in the tournament, and Dario Suarez and Aricheel Hernandez were no-shows for this game. Neither CONCACAF officials nor the Cuban delegation members offered an immediate explanation as to the absences.
Guatemala finished the tournament 0-2-1.
