Brazil 1-1 Mexico (Mexico win 11-10 on pens)
DUBAI // For a short while at least, last night, it seemed the centre of the UAE sports scene had shifted north, albeit temporarily, from its present home at Yas Marina Circuit to Dubai’s Rashid Stadium.
Thousands had thronged the ground to witness Mexico, the reigning champions, take on Brazil, the champions-elect, for a place in the semi-finals of the Fifa Under 17 World Cup.
If the encounter initially struggled the stir the stands, it ultimately provide the tournament’s most gripping conclusion yet. In the end, Mexico stood defiant, triumphing in a magnificently tense penalty shoot-out to continue their quest for a second successive world title.
They simply do not want to relinquish their trophy.
“We don’t consider it a failure if we are not champions, but all the tournaments we enter we begin them by believing we can win,” said Raul Gutierrez, the Mexico coach. “I’m very, very proud of all of my boys. Today they demonstrated how brave and how strong they all are.”
There were plenty of signs of courage as the tussle teetered towards its termination. Goals in the last 10 minutes from Ivan Ochoa, the Mexico striker, and Nathan, Brazil’s supreme playmaker, had prompted the penalties, but for the majority, each side remained resolute, sending the spot-kick lottery into sudden death.
At 10 successes apiece, Mosquito found himself collecting the ball for a second time, only to see goalkeeper Raul Gudino spring to his left and brilliantly palm away the effort.
Indeed, a player nicknamed “The Octopus” by his colleagues had squatted the Mosquito.
Amid the ensuing bedlam, Alejandro Diaz kept his cool to break Brazilian hearts and fire Mexico to a final-four clash against either Argentina or Ivory Coast.
It is a long way removed from their opening 6-1 thrashing by Nigeria.
“After a start like that, I tried to make all my players understand it was simply an aberration,” Gutierrez said. “It was a game full of errors and I told them that we just needed to again play the football we had spent so much time practising. We recovered our essence and after that had big results.”
None bigger than last night.
For many, Brazil represented the sturdiest obstacle in the entire competition, scorer of 18 goals in four matches, with an attacking line-up the envy of their rivals, despite the absence of Boschilia, the tournament’s top scorer. He was suspended for yesterday’s game.
In 29 previous assignments under Alexandre Gallo, their coach, Brazil had never tasted defeat, winning 22. Perhaps that explained why this seemed a doubly difficult pill to swallow.
“With all my respect, our team is the best in the competition, but football is a sport of passion and because of that, not always does the best team win,” Gallo said.
“For me, Brazil is the most technical team in this competition, the most organised and, while most of the teams just play defensive football, Brazil tries to play the best strategy.
“We feel we deserved something better from this competition, but this is football.”
They will regroup and rebound to fill next Brazil’s U20 team, but for Mexico, they maintain ambitions of yet more U17s glory.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Sweden 2 Honduras 1
Erdal Rakip and Valmir Berisha scored six minutes apart in the second half as Sweden overcame a 1-0 deficit at Al Ain last night to defeat Honduras 2-1 and advance to the semi-finals of the U17 World Cup.
The Central Americans had taken a lead on a goal by Brayan Velasquez in the 37th minute.
Sweden, making their first appearance, next meet Nigeria or Uruguay at Dubai’s Rashid Stadium on Tuesday.
Honduras were a surprise team in the tournament; they had not won a point in two previous appearances but defeated the UAE and drew with Slovakia to make the last 16, defeating Uzbekistan.
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