Santiago Gimenez rescued the Mexico national soccer team with one swing of his left leg.
The AC Milan striker scored a dramatic 94th-minute equalizer in Mexico's 2-2 tie with South Korea in an international friendly match at Geodis Park on Sept. 9. Mexico, which took an early lead on a goal from Raul Jimenez before squandering it in the second half, remained unbeaten over its last nine games.
The match was part of Mexico's annual MexTour series of friendlies in the United States. El Tri, which won the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer, tied Japan 0-0 in Oakland, California on Sept. 6. It was Mexico's fourth game in Nashville and first at Geodis, which is home to Nashville SC.
Jimenez headed home a long pass from defender Rodrigo Huescas in the 22nd minute for his 43rd international goal. The Fulham forward is Mexico's third-leading scorer of all time, trailing Javier Hernandez (52) and Jared Borghetti (46).
South Korea turned the tide after halftime when its talisman, forward Son Heung-min, subbed into the game. Son, who signed with MLS club Los Angeles FC in August after spending the last 10 seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, has been red-hot on American soil. He scored a goal in South Korea's 2-0 win over the United States on Sept. 6 and found the net again against Mexico, blasting a shot over the head of goalkeeper Raul Rangel in the 65th minute.
Oh Hyeon-gyu, who had the primary assist on Son's goal, scored a goal of his own 10 minutes later, wrapping a right-footed shot around defender Johan Vasquez and Rangel to give South Korea the lead. But Gimenez sent the Mexican fans, who made up the majority of the announced crowd of 27,604, into a drink-throwing, flag-waving frenzy when he found the top left corner of the net with a strike from the top of the 18-yard box in stoppage time.
"What we could have done better is the last moment when we conceded the goal," said South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo. "In this stage of international football, you need to concentrate until the referee blows his whistle."
Mexico, which will face Colombia in a MexTour match in Arlington, Texas on Oct. 11, is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with the United States and Canada. South Korea has already qualified for the tournament, which will be the first to involve 48 teams.
Post a Comment