Portugal beat Mexico for third
ADRIEN Silva scored an extra-time penalty as Portugal recovered from a goal down to beat Mexico 2-1 in yesterday’s third-place playoff at the Confederations Cup in Moscow.
Luis Neto bundled into his own net to hand Mexico a 54th-minute lead, but Pepe stabbed home a stoppagetime equaliser to force an extra 30 minutes at Spartak Stadium.
Silva then struck his first international goal after a handball inside the box on 104 minutes, while both sides finished with 10 men as Nelson Semedo was dismissed for Portugal before Raul Jimenez saw red for Mexico.
European champions Portugal were without captain Cristiano Ronaldo after the Real Madrid star was released from the squad to return home to meet his newborn twins.
Portugal and Mexico drew 2-2 in the opening game of the group stage, when Hector Moreno salvaged a lastgasp point for the Gold Cup winners, but were left fighting for a consolation prize in the Russian capital.
Portugal should have gone in front in the drizzling rain on 17 minutes when Andre Silva was upended by 38-year-old Rafael Marquez, with the video assistant referee stepping in to award the spot-kick. But Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa flung himself superbly to his right to tip Andre Silva’s low spot-kick round the post.
Rui Patricio produced a sharp stop to deny Javier Hernandez, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, from close range on the half-hour, but the Portugal keeper was beaten shortly after the break.
Hernandez’s cross from the byline floated beyond Carlos Vela and Patricio, with Zenit St Petersburg centreback Neto unwittingly turning the ball home.
Portugal went in pursuit of an equaliser and Gelson Martins – replacing Ronaldo in attack – was denied by an excellent save from Ochoa with just over an hour played. But Ochoa was beaten in the first minute of injury time as Pepe lunged to get on the end of Ricardo Quaresma’s curling rightwing cross to force extra time.
US down Ghana
Silva, on as a substitute, then grabbed the winner just before the end of the first period of extra time, burying a penalty after Miguel Layun handled in the box.
Semedo was then sent off on 106 minutes after picking up a second yellow card, but Mexico’s numerical advantage was swiftly wiped out when Jimenez received his marching orders.
Meanwhile, English-born striker Dom Dwyer scored a goal on his international debut as the United States defeated Ghana 2-1 in a friendly international on Saturday.
Sporting Kansas City forward Dwyer, who became a US citizen three months ago, lashed home a first-half volley to fire the Americans ahead as they build towards this month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Another debutant, FC Dallas’s Kellyn Acosta scored the American side’s second goal on 52 minutes as Bruce Arena’s team – with several firstchoice players rested – claimed a well-earned win.
Ghana’s veteran forward Asamoah Gyan pulled a goal back for the visitors with a stunning free kick in the 60th minute but the US held on for victory.
Although a friendly international, the game pitted two sides who have battled against each other in memorable World Cup encounters during the 2006, 2010 and 2014 finals.
The rivalry was evident at East Hartford’s Rentschler Field on Saturday with a series of full-blooded challenges flying in throughout the game.
Dwyer, who moved to the US to pursue football after being told as a teenager in England he would not be able to play professionally, enjoyed an impressive first appearance for his adopted homeland. The 26-year-old was a lively presence throughout until he was substituted midway through the second half.