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(Getty)
Final Score
Mexico 0-1 1
Venezuela 1-0 1
Box Score
Having already qualified for the quarterfinals, neither Mexico nor Venezuela needed to risk anything in their final group match.
That didn’t stop the teams from playing the most entertaining match of the round.
Venezuela scored early, Mexico responded late, and despite going end-to-end in the final minutes, neither side was able to generate the difference at NRG Stadium.
Jose Velazquez put Venezuela ahead early, when he finished a set piece with a beautiful shot past Mexico’s third-string keeper Jose Corona. Mexico did not want to lose this match, fearing a matchup with Argentina in the next round.
It took El Tri over 70 minutes to find the tying goal, and it took an incredible knifing run from Tecatico Corona. Dribbling through seven defenders, Corona finished past keeper Dani Hernandez, who deserved a win with a fantastic performance.
Mexico forced the draw, increasing their unbeaten streak under Juan Carlos Osorio to 22 games. They are champions of Group C, and will now await either Chile or Panama in the next round.
Venezuela also advance, and will face Argentina in the quarterfinals. That match will be at 7 p.m. in Foxborough, and Mexico’s will be at 10 p.m. in Santa Clara on Saturday, June 18th. Both will air on FX.
Tecatico Does His Best Messi Impersonation to Equalize Late
Take a bow, Jesus Manuel Corona. The young winger made multiple dangerous runs in the second half, but none more impressive than this scoring effort. Mexico have all the momentum in the final minutes, needing at least a draw to avoid Argentina in the next round.
Hernandez Double-Save Keeps Venezuela Ahead
Dani Hernandez has had an outstanding game, but his best moment came here in the 74th minute. The first save was solid, but the second was incredible. His sixth and seventh saves have Venezuela ahead and threatening Mexico’s unbeaten run under Osorio.
Venezuela Continue to Surprise With Early Goal
Venezuela score at nearly the 10-minute mark, as Velazquez converts a beautiful shot on a set piece. Venezuela still have not conceded a goal at Copa America, and now they have an early lead in Houston.
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