- June, 06 2009 -
|
||||||
SAN SALVADOR – A dramatic penalty kick with four minutes remaining by Eliseo Quintanilla lifted El Salvador to an emotional 2-1 win against Mexico at Estadio Cuscatlan Saturday night.
Quintanilla struck from the spot after Mexican defender Oscar Rojas blocked Julio Martinez’s cross while sliding near the end line.
Costa Rican referee Walter Quesada didn’t hesitate to point to the penalty spot where Quintanilla beat Oscar Perez to the goalkeeper’s right, sending a packed Estadio Cuscatlan into a frenzy.
Quintanilla’s penalty came after one from Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who made his return to the Mexican national team by entering as a halftime substitute to score the equalizer in the 71st minute.
El Salvador, which entered the day tied with Trinidad & Tobago in last place in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, moved into third place in the “hexagonal” ahead of both Honduras and Mexico. Despite Javier “El Vasco” Aguirre’s return as head coach, El Tri, meanwhile, continued to struggle. The result left the Mexicans with just one win in their last seven matches and sit in fifth place, one point in front of the Soca Warriors.
Not only did Martinez set up the winning goal, he also scored the first in the 11th minute. Rodolfo Zelaya started the play by dribbling past Ricardo Osorio and Gerardo Torrado near the corner flag and cut inside of the 18-yard box.
His first attempt was blocked, but as his teammates shouted for a handball, Martinez took a touch with his left foot and fired the ball with his right from 14 yards past Perez.
Mexico had the best of the early chances with Andres Guardardo getting on the end of Fernando Arce’s cross, but his header was saved by El Salvadorian goalkeeper Miguel Montes, who dived to his right to make the save in the fifth minute.
Three minutes later, Guardardo tried to chip Montes from the right edge of the box, but his attempt was well wide of the target.
After Martinez gave El Salvador the lead, Arce nearly equalized for El Tri in the 25th minute, catching Montes, who was expecting a cross, off guard. But Montes recovered in time to get a piece of the shot.
Two minutes later, Perez came off his line to challenge Alfredo Pacheco’s cross, spilling it inside the box. Martinez pounced on the ball, but he pushed the ball just wide of the far post.
Moments later Pacheco exchanged blows with Guillermo Franco as the two jockeyed for position on a corner kick. The incident went undetected by Quesada, and Pacheco got the worst of it, needing to have his forehead wrapped to treat a cut.
Blanco came on at the half and struck for the dramatic equalizer after Manuel Sanchez hauled down Franco in the box. El Temo had seemingly saved Mexico once again, but Quintanilla’s penalty in the 86th minute proved to be the difference for El Salvador, which survived a scare moments later when Blanco’s second apparent equalizer was ruled offside by the linesman.
Mexico returns home to face Trinidad & Tobago Wednesday night at Estadio Azteca, while El Salvador heads to San Pedro Sula to take on Honduras on Wednesday.
