Mexico and Panama advanced to a Concacaf Gold Cup semi-final showdown with triumphs Sunday, one thanks to a dramatic save and the other on a penalty kick after a controversial call.
Mexican captain Andres Guardado scored the lone goal from the spot in the 124th minute to lift Mexico over Costa Rica 1-0 while Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo denied Lester Peltier in the ninth round of penalty kicks as the “Canaleros” advanced 6-5 over Trinidad and Tobago after a 1-1 draw.
“I feel real joy because today was a real blessing to be able to advance to the next round,” Penedo said.
After losing 2-1 to Panama in last year’s semi-finals, six-time champions Mexico will seek revenge and an eighth trip to the finals of the biennial North and Central American and Caribbean regional football championship when they meet again on Wednesday in Atlanta.
That winner earns a berth in next Sunday’s final at Philadelphia against the winners of Wednesday’s other semi-final between Jamaica and holders United States.
After more than two hours of goal-less football, Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez whistled a hotly contested foul on Costa Rica’s Roy Miller following Mexican striker Oribe Peralta hurling himself onto the ground trying to reach a crossing pass.
“I’m happy with the effort of the players,” Mexican coach Miguel Herrera said. “We were superior. We made an important step.”
The phantom foul brought Guardado to the spot and he blasted the ball into the left side of the net for the victory, delivering the only loss of the event for Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals last year in Brazil.
Costa Rica coach Paulo Wanchope said he did not feel as if his job was in jeopardy after the defeat.
“I do not feel out of the team by being eliminated,” he said. “My players should be proud of how they played. Some of them were exhausted.”
Panama and Trinidad and Tobago were even at 1-1 through extra time, Luis Tejada giving Panama the lead in the 37th minute but Trinidad and Tobago equalising on a Kenwyne Jones header in the 54th minute.
And while Panama advanced, it took a save-or-lose situation in the seventh round of penalty kicks for them to escape.
Each team missed two of their first three penalties. Armando Cooper and Harold Cummings each scored for Panama to open rounds but Jones and Radanfah Abu Bakr answered to keep Trinidad and Tobago going.
Marvin Phillip saved the seventh-round shot of Alberto Quintero to put Panama on the edge of elimination but Trinidad and Tobago’s Daneil Cyrus booted his next shot over the crossbar to extend the drama.
“The key moment was when (Cyrus) took his kick and if they made it they win,” Penedo said. “The referee told me that and I thought ‘Ugh,’ but then he missed and we went on to win and now we can all smile.”
Penedo, the 33-year-old LA Galaxy netminder who was voted 2005 and 2013 Gold Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament, made two saves in the penalties session, the decisive one set up by teammate Valentin Pimentel’s goal to start the ninth round.
Penedo then went back inside the woodwork and dove to his left on Peltier’s shot. Penedo lifted his right hand and deflected the ball off the crossbar and out, dooming the “Soca Warriors”, who were out to match their Cup-best run by reaching the 2000 last four.
“Every moment has its sensation and own emotion,” Penedo said. “Each one is divine in the moment.”
Panama advanced to a third consecutive semi-final, having lost to the United States in 2011 before beating Mexico in 2013, only to fall to the Americans in the final.
Sunday marked the fourth match in a row in which Panama took the lead only to surrender the equaliser in the second half, having advanced from the group stage on three 1-1 draws.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
