Confederations Cup: Portugal beat Mexico to finish 3rd
Moscow, July 3 (IANS) European champions Portugal scripted a comeback win to beat Mexico 2-1 in the third place play-off at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Portugal were without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo during Sunday’s match. Cristiano received permission last Wednesday from Portuguese coach Fernando Santos to go on a vacation, reports Efe news agency.
Andre Silva failed to open the scoring for Portugal when he missed a penalty during the first half.
After a scoreless first half, Portuguese defender Luis Neto scored a self-goal 10 minutes into the second half. Mexico’s star forward Javier Hernández made a run down the left flank before unleashing a square pass into the six-yard box from the backline.
Neto’s attempted clearance saw the ball ricochet off his legs into the goal.
Pepe scored a late equaliser for Portugal in stoppage time, forcing the teams to play two 15-minute extra-time periods.
The first half of extra-time produced the decisive goal when Adrien Silva scored the winner for Portugal off a penalty in the 104th minute.
Portuguese defender Nelson Semedo and Mexican Raul Jimenez were sent off in the 106th and 112th minutes, respectively.
Portugal were eliminated from the semi-finals after losing to South American champions Chile in a penalty shoot-out on June 28, while Mexico were thrashed by 2014 World Cup winners Germany 4-1 on June 29.