(ABOVE) Mexico poses for a team photo prior to its women's football bronze medal match against Canada on July 24, 2015, in Hamilton, Canada.
HAMILTON, Canada – Monica Ocampo and Sandra Stephany Mayor each scored during an eight-minute span in the first half to lift Mexico to a 2-1 win over Canada in the bronze medal game of the Pan American Games on Friday night at Hamilton Stadium.
Brazil defeated Colombia, 4-0, to win the gold medal.
Mexico pressured from the opening kickoff, but Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe was equal to the task early.
After defending a corner kick in its own defensive third, the Tricolor broke out on a counterattack. Ocampo headed the ball to herself and won a long footrace with Kinley McNicoll, before slotting past Labbe, who robbed her earlier in the half, to give Mexico a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.
Eight minutes later, Mayor got inside position on Jessie Fleming in the box to double Mexico’s lead.
Canada pressed in the second half and came agonizingly close on multiple attempts, hitting the crossbar with one, while others went inches high.
Finally, the host pulled halved the deficit in the 88th minute, when Fleming converted from the penalty spot after a handball was called in the box.
However, Mexico did well to see out the final moments and keep the Canadians from securing a medal since the inaugural women’s Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999. They also finished fourth that year.
