Mexico Rallies to Victory
Altitude and attitude. That was all Mexico needed Monday night.
Estadio Jalisco provided the atmosphere -- or lack thereof, given the city’s elevation of more than 7,000 feet -- and the self-belief of Coach Ricardo Lavolpe’s players provided the rest as Mexico came from a goal down to beat a tiring Trinidad and Tobago, 3-1, in the second game of a soccer qualifying doubleheader for the 2004 Olympics.
In the first match, Costa Rica also prevailed over a Caribbean team, routing Jamaica, 3-0. The encounters were the first of 16 in a 10-day, eight-nation event that will see two teams advance to Athens in August.
Simply put, the islanders -- both sets -- ran out of air.
That’s one reason United States Olympic Coach Glen “Mooch” Myernick brought his team in more than a week before today’s match against Panama.
Acclimatization was Myernick’s watchword. That and two-a-day training sessions that will have the Americans fit.
“In any tournament format, the first game is the most important game because if you can get off on the right foot and get some momentum there’s nothing that can replace that,” Myernick said.
Costa Rica and Mexico have that momentum.
Monday night’s opening match was a scrappy affair for the first 45 minutes, but Costa Rica took charge in the second half.
Once they got going, the Ticos were unstoppable. Roy Myrie gave them the lead in the 68th minute, then scored in the 73rd minute. Both goals originated with sweeping moves down the right flank.
Leonardo Araya scored the third, a couple of minutes into injury time, slotting home the rebound of an Alvaro Saborio shot that caromed off goalkeeper Richard McCallum.
Mexico’s start was even rockier. It found itself trailing after only 18 minutes.
Trinidad and Tobago mounted only one serious attack, and scored off it when Devon Mitchell took a diagonal pass from midfield and hammered a right-foot shot from 20 yards that found the upper left corner of the net.
Mexico spent the rest of the game camped around Trinidad and Tobago’s penalty area, firing shots from all angles and winning corner kick after corner kick.
The islanders were wobbly on defense against their more skilled opponents and it was only the athleticism of their defenders -- and at least three smart saves by Durance Williams -- that kept Trinidad and Tobago’s lead.
Mexico scored the tying goal just a couple of minutes before halftime.
The ball was crossed in from the right and flicked on by a header at the near post. Trinidad and Tobago’s harried defense failed to clear it, forcing Williams to swat the ball off the foot of striker Rafael Marquez, only to see it reach Ismael Rodriguez, who steered it into the open net.
The second half provided more of the same. Midfielder Luis Ernesto Perez put Mexico in front on the hour mark, lifting the ball over the advancing Williams.
A powerful headed goal by Juan Carlos Cacho off a fine pass by the influential defender Diego Martinez provided the exclamation mark in injury time at the game’s end.
