Mexico rallies and reaches Gold Cup semifinals

Guatemala managed to slow Mexico’s juggernaut Saturday, but it could not stop it completely, with second-half goals by Aldo De Nigris and Javier Hernandez carrying El Tri to a surprisingly difficult 2-1 victory in a Gold Cup quarterfinal played before a sellout crowd of 78,807 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Mexico will take on Honduras, a winner on penalty kicks over Costa Rica, in Wednesday’s semifinals in Houston. The other semifinalists will be decided Sunday in Washington, where the United States will meet unbeaten and unscored-upon Jamaica, before Panama plays El Salvador.

“Our team is very strong at the core,” Mexico Coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said. “They know they should win versus any adversity. We knew it was a difficult match. But we knew we could come back and we did.”

Mexico dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard in the first half, controlling the ball for more than 30 of the 45 minutes. But the only goal during that time belonged to Guatemala, with Elias Enoc Vasquez going over the top of the Mexican defense with a long through ball that Carlos Ruiz volleyed over Mexican goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera in the fifth minute.

That marked the first time Mexico trailed in the tournament, and Guatemala reacted by turning conservative, playing the rest of the half with only one attacker while dropping as many as six men into the penalty area on the defensive end.

De la Torre came up with a reaction of his own to start the second half, subbing De Nigris, a forward, for midfielder Israel Castro. And that paid off quickly with De Nigris scoring three minutes later off a scramble in front of the net.

The play started with Pablo Barrera controlling a crossing pass on the right edge of the box and sending the ball back in front for Hector Moreno. Guatemala keeper Ricardo Jerez knocked that shot down with a great save, then stopped a rebound attempt by Moreno before De Nigris directed a second rebound around the prone keeper.

Barrera also set up the winning goal, in the 66th minute, sending another right wing pass through the legs of defender Carlos Gallardo and toward the goal. Hernandez, who had overrun the pass, still managed to reach back and deflect the ball in the net with his heel.

“The goal was instinct,” Hernandez said. “I saw the ball at my feet and put the ball in the goal.”

It was his sixth goal of the tournament, ruining a fabulous performance by Jerez..

Honduras will get the next shot at Mexico after beating Costa Rica on penalty kicks, 4-2.

After a scoreless first half, the Central American teams exchanged goals early in the second half, with Jerry Bengston giving Honduras a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute and Dennis Marshall equaling things seven minutes later. Costa Rica had a chance to break the tie in the 75th minute, but Alvaro Saborio’s penalty kick was stopped by Noel Valladares.

Saborio also missed on a penalty kick in the tiebreaking shootout when his shot hit the crossbar. Teammate Celso Borges bounced a shot off the crossbar in the shootout as well.

Carlo Costly, Victor Bernardez, Wilson Palacios and Bengston scored in the penalty-kick phase for Honduras.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

Baxter reported from Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.