On Saturday night at the International Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, Mexico’s offence put on a goal-scoring masterclass in a 6-3 victory over South Korea in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The victory puts El Tricolor in the semifinals, where they will face the eventual champions, Brazil, on Tuesday.
Mexico Vs South Korea Olympics Score
Henry Martin gave Mexico the lead in the 12th minute when he redirected a cross from Alexis Vega that had been nodded on by Luis Romo.
However, South Korea responded with their own goal when Lee Dong-gyeong scored with a spectacular left-footed drive in the 20th minute to tie the game.
In the 29th minute, Mexico went up 2-1 thanks to another goal set up by the Vega-Romo connection. This time, Vega lofted a pass to Romo, and Romo scored with an amazing control and volley.
In the 39th minute, the South Koreans were penalised after they were called for pushing Uriel Antuna within the penalty area. Sebastian Cordova coolly converted the ensuing penalty kick to make the score 3-1.
Dong-Gyeong Gave South Korea Hope with Another Left-Footed Strike in the 51st Minute, Narrowing the Deficit to 3-2.
Nonetheless, Mexico remained undaunted and, in the 54′, they doubled their lead when Martin scored following a Cordova free kick to make it 4-2.
With Mexico already up 5-2, the Mexican attack was eager to seal the deal, and Cordova delivered in the 63rd minute with a rocket that found its way into the upper left corner of the goal.
Eduardo Aguirre rounded off Mexico’s historic night with a right-footed strike in the 84th minute, extending their advantage to 6 goals; South Korea responded with a goal from Hwang Ui-jo in the 90th minute and ultimately lost, 6-3.
Former champions Mexico were eliminated from the Olympic men’s soccer event in a shocking and unlucky manner. El Tri lost their final group stage encounter to South Korea 1-0 despite having 19 more shots than their opponent.
Mexico Vs South Korea Olympics Score 2016:
The reigning world champs Mexico’s hopes of winning back-to-back Olympic football titles were dashed on Wednesday when they were eliminated from competition after a 1-0 loss to South Korea.
All first half long, El Tri kept the Koreans in their own half, but they were unable to create many scoring opportunities. Even though hard fouls were more common than good passing moves, South Korea managed to take the lead thanks to Kwon Chang-Hoon in the first half. In stoppage time, Hirving Lozano was sent off.
After beating Fiji, Germany moved above of Mexico in the standings, and South Korea advanced as group champions.
It was poised to be a stressful evening between the two teams, with Germany sitting only two points back in the standings and knowing that a win would guarantee first place in the group and a matchup with Honduras in the knockout stages.
Already in the first few minutes, it was evident that this game would be high-stakes, with more fouls and fierce duels than chances. The first attempt on goal came from a free kick by Lee Chang-Mi, who blasted his effort high and wide.
Mexico dominated the first few minutes of the game, but their early chances were thwarted when Erick Torres had his shot stopped by the keeper following a beautiful cross from Carlos Cisneros, and Marco Bueno failed to beat the keeper. Following him, Michael Perez tried his luck, but his shots were all over the place.
Chang-Min, who Son Heung-Min set up superbly, should have done better with his shot, and SandalsForGoalposts pointed out the youngster’s early difficulties.
At the 26-minute mark, Cesar Montes nearly scored when his header from a corner barely missed Sung-goal, Jun’s while Erick Gutierrez came close with a powerful drive but couldn’t get by his defender.
Whereas El Tri had started off as the aggressors, South Korea was unable to string together any meaningful offensive moves. Torres and Gutierrez tried to link up in the middle, but Torres was offside.
Mexcio’s pressure increased as the half progressed, culminating in a blocked attempt by Perez from outside the box at the 36:30 mark. At the same time, Germany was cruising past Fiji, and Marshall said that a tie wasn’t good enough.
Despite Mexico’s Best Efforts, they were Unable to Break Through South Korea’s Defence.
Since counter-chances were scarce, the Asians were content to stay back and play out the first half, and they still retained the lead at the break against the Group C leaders.
Even though El Tri’s standout forward is Lozano, he started the game on the bench despite the hopes of many fans. South Korea retreated within their defensive shell to stymie their opponents and wait for openings.
After six minutes of play, Pachuca head coach Raul Gutierrez had seen enough of Arturo Gonzalez and benched the player after he had a shot blocked. For the Koreans, Chan-Dong Lee also took the field.
Unexpectedly, Lozano made an immediate impact when he barreled into Lee Seul-Chan, sending the defender sprawling to the ground. After a lengthy injury treatment, Seul-Chang got his own back by getting a yellow card for a rough challenge a few minutes later, and the play was delayed again.
Cisneros’s free-kick attempt narrowly missed the goal, but it was South Korea who eventually took the lead on a brilliant solo effort from Hoon-Kwon. After a missed free kick, the attacker retrieved the ball and dribbled across the area, fooling several Mexican defenders before shooting high into the net past goalie Alfredo Talavera.
Torres tried to respond right away, but his shot went wide, while Lozano’s drive was blocked by the Korean defence.
Despite a strong attempt by Perez that almost missed the goal, South Korea’s goalie Sung-Yun was cautioned for time wasting as the team tried all in their arsenal to end the game.
Cisneros’s header was saved by Sung-Jun, while Carlos Fierro also came close with a shot across the face of goal. Mexico’s effort was encapsulated by Fierro’s over-the-head shot, which sailed way wide, and South Korea comfortably held on for the win.
Lozano let his anger get the best of him as time was running out, committing a silly foul that got him sent off.
Last Words
Kwon Chang-Hoon scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute with a magnificent strike, giving him three goals for the tournament. He made a lengthy run towards the top of the box, beating several Mexico defenders before firing a left-footed shot into the back of the net.
