MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Mexico will play in their eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup after downing El Salvador 2-0 on Wednesday night at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on the 14th and final matchday of the Third Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022.
Thanks to first half goals from Uriel Antuna and Raul Jimenez, El Tricolor finished in Second Place in the eight-team table.
Mexico started on the front foot and soon enough they took a 1-0 lead in the 17’ when Nestor Araujo’s header off a corner kick was initially blocked by El Salvador GK Mario Gonzalez, but Antuna was there to fire home for the goal.
Así fue el gol de Uriel Antuna que puso adelante a su selección con remate potente de derecha.
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) March 31, 2022
⏱️ 17' 🇲🇽 1 vs 0 🇸🇻 #CWCQpic.twitter.com/MAJ73o8yda
Mexico stayed on the hunt for another goal and it almost came from a great individual move from Jimenez in the 41’ that was snuffed out by Gonzalez.
Nevertheless, Jimenez would get his goal three minutes later after Antuna was fouled in the El Salvador penalty area, and the Mexico No.9 calmly scored the penalty for a 2-0 Mexico lead.
El Tricolor were not about to take their foot off the gas and a long-range effort from Carlos Rodriguez in the 46’ that was tipped away by Gonzalez nearly produced a third score.
El Salvador had a couple glimpses at a score in the second half, but nothing that troubled GK Guillermo Ochoa, who recorded his third clean sheet of the window to rubber-stamp Mexico’s place in Qatar.
