Mexico (pictured) celebrates after scoring against host Chile in the FIFA U-17 World Cup on October 28, 2015 in Chillan, Chile. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)
CHILLAN, Chile -- Mexico scored three second-half goals to break a half-time stalemate and earn a 4-1 win over host Chile in a Round of 16 encounter in the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Wednesday.
The triumph fortified the CONCACAF champion’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive appearance in the final, setting up a quarterfinal pairing on November 2 against the Russia-Ecuador winner.
Brian Leiva put the Chileans ahead 1-0 and sent the capacity crowd at the Estadio Nelson Oyarzun Arenas into a jubilant celebration in the 40th minute by heading home Rene Melendez’s corner kick from inside the six-yard box.
It didn’t take long for the Mexicans to level as Claudio Zamudio slid Kevin Magaña’s left-sided cross into the back of the net from four-yards out two minutes later.
Following the interval, Mexico grabbed hold of the encounter and eased to its largest margin of victory in the current competition.
In the 61st minute, the Tricolor took a lead it would never relinquish. Zamudio received a pass from the right on top of the box and turned to feed the charging Pablo Lopez. With exquisite skill, the 17-year-old unleashed a shot with the outside of his left foot from 23-yards out that gave right-diving goalkeeper Zacarias Orlando Lopez no chance.
Eight minutes later, Eduardo Aguirre made it 3-1 for Mexico. An unchallenged Lopez delivered a left-sided cross into the six-yard box for the unmarked Aguirre to flash past Lopez at the near post.
Diego Cortes punctuated the scoreline in the third minute of stoppage time, right-footing Nahum Gomez’s cross from the right beyond a besieged Lopez from nine yards.
The only piece of bad news for Mexico was that defender Francisco Venegas, who has played every minute of the competition, will miss the quarterfinals due to yellow-card accumulation.
