Mexico midfielder Raul Lopez jumps in the air to celebrate after… The winners will advance to the final and qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, while the losers will meet for third place and a chance to face Colombia in a playoff for another berth.
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Mexico are the defending CONCACAF and Olympic champions from 2012, while Honduras also qualified in the last cycle and reached the Olympic quarterfinals. “We still have a lot to improve and all the mistakes we’ve made, we’re planning not to repeat them again”. Continue to do that to be able to win.
“It is a big opportunity for us and the whole Canada Soccer nation”, said Canadian captain Samuel Piette.
“But the coaching staff has prepared well for this game, and when the referee blows the whistle to start the game, we just have to do what we have to do and whatever happens on the pitch we can’t really control, we have to do our best”.
The second half saw Mexico going for a second goal and peppered the Honduras goal, but it was the Hondurans who scored in the 59th minute to level the match. The Houston Dynamo forward had time to settle the ball near the penalty spot and drill it with his right foot past goalkeeper Harold Fonseca.
And that was the story of Mexico v Honduras.
As far as playing their next opponent, Gutierrez said Canada “deserves all of our respect”.
The matchups are set for the deciding matches of CONCACAF Olympic qualification with the regional powers topping their groups.
Costa Rica and Haiti both lost to Honduras and Mexico in the opening games in Carson, California.
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Pierre Paulson gave Haiti the lead in the 51st minute on a free-kick from in close.
