Mexico’s World Cup dreams hanging by a thread after late victory over Panama

Having successfully qualified for the last five consecutive World Cups, El Tri came into the qualifying for Brazil 2014 with a hint of complacency. And after a run of four games without a win, it looked like El Tri might not make it all.

Going into the game against Panama on Friday, Mexico needed a win to revive their faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. They managed to do it, but only just. And it needed a spectacular Raul Jimenez goal in the 85th minute to beat Panama 2-1 and move Mexico into fourth place in the CONCACAF qualifying.

The result meant that El Tri got their second win of the campaign and is almost guaranteed fourth spot, as they are currently three points ahead of Panama with just a game to go. With just the top three teams automatically qualifying for the World Cup and El Tri currently lying three points behind third-placed Honduras with one just one to play, it looks as if they have to be content with an intercontinental playoff against New Zealand to book their berth in Brazil.

Their horrendous qualifying campaign saw Luis Fernando Tena get the boot after just a solitary game and Victor Manuel Vucetich become their third coach of the campaign. Vucetich started his reign as Mexico manager with a win and looks like he might just get them to Brazil.

And although Mexico had only lost two games, those two were their two previous matches against USA and Honduras, which left them in a tight spot, with the whole squad suffering from a crisis of confidence.

But after the game against Panama, although the coach was visibly pleased, Vucetich was wary of the task at hand and said “We haven’t accomplished anything, we need to win the next match to get to the playoff.”

In a crucial encounter, Mexico took the lead in the 40th minute through Oribe Peralta’s goal and it looked like the start of many. But, right on the hour mark, Mexico were given a penalty and their third highest goal scorer of all time, Javier Hernandez stepped up to the plate. But when he missed his kick, the whole crowd went silent.

And that proved to be crucial when, in the 81^st minute, Panama stunned the home crowd thanks to a Luis Tejada goal. The ease with which he beat goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, rounded the keeper and tapped it into the empty net would not have pleased new coach, who was looking to maintain a brilliant defensive campaign, which has seen concede just seven goals in nine games, a run which included five clean sheets.

But, just when it looked like Panama were going to go away from the Azteca with a point, Raul Jimenez, who had only just been brought on as a substitute had other ideas. If the game had stayed level, Honduras would have clinched third spot and have gone through to Brazil, but Jimenez’s winner meant that they need at least a draw to go through. And the goal that gave El Tri the win was a thing of beauty.

Jimenez was at the top of the penalty area, when he received a long pass from Fernando Arce. Then, what happened in the next few moments was just pure magic. With his back to goal, he knocked the ball in the air with his right foot and then lashed in a powerful overhead kick that spun in off the post and gave the Panama goalkeeper no chance. Jimenez’s goal with just five minutes to go, kept Mexico’s hopes of reaching Brazil alive and looks like providing them with the impetus to finish a disappointing campaign on a high.

After the game, Jimenez was modest and admitted that “My initial intention was to hit it low, but then I had to improvise going in the air, and it was a last- resort type of thing.” But his manager was certainly impressed and said that it was “a spectacular goal, really beautiful and above all very emotional.”

Mexico’s win and Honduras 1-0 defeat of Costa Rica means that they are almost guaranteed at least a playoff spot. The result means that Honduras need a draw, away to already-eliminated Jamaica to secure a World Cup berth in the last round of games which sees Mexico going to Costa Rica and Panama hosting the United States. Both Costa Rica and the U.S. have already qualified for Brazil, with USA clinching top spot with a 2-0 home win over against Jamaica, thanks to goals from Graham Zusi and Jozy Altidore.