Agony for El Tri after Saudis score late goal

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Mexico missed out on reaching the last 16 of the World Cup despite beating Saudi Arabia 2-1.

El Tri started the final round of Group C fixtures in bottom spot but came so close to hurdling into the top two after second-half goals from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez, the latter scoring with a spectacular 25-yard free-kick.

With Poland en route to a 2-0 defeat to Argentina, Mexico knew unless they scored again they would be heading out of the competition because the Poles had collected fewer yellow cards, with all other tie-breakers equal between the two nations.

But Mexican hopes were destroyed in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Saudi skipper Salem Al Dawsari worked a clever one-two with Hatan Bahbri and skilfully converted. Mexico had last suffered group-stage elimination in 1978, having reached the knockout phase in each of their previous seven World Cups.

Napoli’s Hirving Lozano was at the heart of everything Mexico produced as they got on the front foot from the start.

Chavez had already driven wide before Lozano put Alexis Vega clean through after three minutes, but Mohammed Al Owais sprang from his goal to make an excellent stop.

The busy Al Owais pushed out a Chavez shot at the start of the second half, but Mexico broke the deadlock from the resulting corner. Chavez’s kick was flicked on by Cesar Montes and Martin reacted quickest to prod home.

Chavez then sent a spectacular curling freekick past Al Owais from 25 yards before the Saudis had the final word.