The Qatari national team overturned expectations, and achieved a valuable and rare victory over group leaders Mexico, with a clean goal, which enabled it to qualify for the quarter-finals in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, benefiting from Honduras’ victory over Haiti 2-1.
“Al-Aadam” occupied the runners-up of Group Two with four points, with a goal difference from Honduras third, and behind the leading “El Tre” team with six points.
Al-Annabi, who participates in a youth squad grafted with some elements of experience, repeated his qualification to the quarter-finals, which he reached in the previous version in 2021, when he came third, losing to the United States of America in the semi-finals.
The men of the Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz, defied the conditions of the forced absences of Bassam Al-Rawi (accumulation of warnings) and Youssef Abdel-Razzak (case of expulsion), and the great pressure exerted by the Mexican fans, who gathered more than 60,000 spectators at Levi’s Stadium in California, recording remarkable steadfastness against the most prominent candidates to win the tournament. , which he holds the title eight times.
Al-Annabi will face in the quarter-finals of the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States of America and Canada until July 16, the leaders of Group C, which will be decided after the end of the third round on Tuesday, after the matches between Panama (6 points), El Salvador (one point), Costa Rica (one point) and Martinique (3 points).
“Fighting spirit”
Queiroz dedicated the victory to the spirit of the late Qatari coach Saeed Al-Misnad, a former advisor to the Qatari national teams, saying that “Qatar deserved to win after a wonderful and difficult match presented by the players against the strong Mexico national team.”
Queiroz, 70, attributed the reasons for the victory over Mexico (ranked 14th in the world) to the fighting spirit with which his players were armed. “I told the players that we should always focus on Mexico and take advantage of the opportunities,” he said.
In turn, Hazem Shehata (goal scorer) said, “Al-Annabi entered the match motivated by victory and nothing else, and presented a great match for which he deserved the three points.”
And Shehata (25 years old) expressed in statements to Al-Kass Sports Channels his great joy by scoring the only goal, “It was great to score in this stadium and in front of this large crowd.”
Mexican blockade.. and Qatari arrogance
Queiroz entered the match with a different line-up, which stipulated the participation of Musab Khedr in place of Al-Rawi, and Hazem Shehata instead of Abdel-Razzak, who received a red card after a scuffle with Honduras players after the end of the last match.
The Mexican national team started the match with a pressing attack on the Qatari goal, and Ozil Herrera opened the chances with a shot in the hands of goalkeeper Mishaal Barshim (15), followed by a dangerous cross that was dispersed by Tariq Salman (24), before Al-Annabi succeeded in opening the scoring after an organized counterattack led by Muhammad Waad passing through the front. Musab Khader met her with a cross on the ruler, and Hazem Shehata rose to her and settled her head to the left of veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (27).
Mexico intensified its pressure on the goal of Barshim, the brother of the world champion in the high jump, Moataz. Chances rolled in first through a header by Santiago Jimenez, which was removed by the goalkeeper (30), followed by Edson Alvarez with a header that just over the crossbar (35), before the Mexican team concluded the first half opportunities through a single player. AEK Athens, the Greek Orbilim Pineda, was saved by Barshim, with the support of Ahmed Suhail (4 + 45).
In the second half, the Mexican national team imposed a siege on Al-Adam, but most of the attacks were broken in front of the brilliance of goalkeeper Barshim, and the defenders’ courage, as opportunities rolled in, the most prominent of which was Jimenez’s solitude, who hit a ball near the right post (70), then substitute Henry Martin’s shot inside the area was finished by Tariq. Salman (84), and Alvarez’s header bounced off the post (86), and finally Martin’s acrobatics also in the arms of Barshim (4 + 90).
The United States and Jamaica qualified
In the second match, Haiti did not succeed in preserving the goal of Frantzdi Piero (20), which was enough to qualify it to the quarter-finals, after it conceded two goals from Honduras, signed by Jerry Bengtson (42) and then Jose Mario Pinto (59), so that the two sides bid farewell to the tournament from its first round. .
The United States and Jamaica qualified for the quarter-finals after sweeping Trinidad and Tobago (6-0), including a hat-trick by Jesus Ferreira, and St. Kitts and Nevis (5-0), respectively, in Group A.
The United States topped the group with seven points, with a goal difference from Jamaica, the second.
2023-07-03 09:32:31
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