Qatar, led by Carlos Queiroz, defeated Mexico (1-0) last night and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup.
Hazem Shehata decided the match in the third round of the second group of the competition with a header from the penalty area in the 27th minute, in what was the only shot by Queiroz’s team throughout the match, while the Mexicans added more than twenty attempts for a goal.
With this victory, Qatar closes the group stage in second place with four points, while Mexico occupies first place with six points. Honduras, also with four points, but with the worst goal difference, does not qualify for the quarter-finals, as well as Haiti (three points).
Also last night, but in Group A, the United States and Jamaica confirmed their passage, after Trinidad and Tobago (6-0) and São Cristóvão and Nevis (5-0) won, respectively.
“I am really happy. We won more than one game, we won the players who strive and sacrifice for the team. It was very difficult, against a great team, but today was our day. The players deserved it. After what they did in the three matches, this qualification Well deserved.(…]We deserve to be in the second round. “Mexico played well, we fought, we tried to counterattack and we scored,” said Queiroz at the end of the match.
“I am very happy because football is the art of winning. We don’t have the solutions Mexico, Brazil and Portugal, we have to be realistic, we can’t lie to ourselves. We assembled the team to give Mexico the ball, we closed the diagonals and started winning when the Mexican players started to get frustrated and make mistakes.” But we didn’t take our eyes off Mexico’s goal. With respect, of course, Mexico could have scored, but they always felt we could do the same. Tomorrow, if we had to dance samba or rock and roll, we’d do it too. Today we had to “We dance with Mexico. It was a good match. Is there a defect in Mexico’s surrender? Yes. But there is also an advantage from Qatar in organization and focus.”
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