Mexico eliminated, Canada will play the United States

by patgarcia | March 17, 2008 at 11:14 am

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CARSON, Calif. —Mexico's under-23 men's national team beat Haiti 5-1 on Sunday, but it didn't stop the younger version of El Tri from being shut out of the Beijing Olympics.

With the victory, Mexico finished tied with Canada for second place in Group B of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament with four points a piece, two behind group winner Guatemala. But the Maple Leafs advanced to the semifinals on goal difference after beating Guatemala 5-0 earlier in the day.

Mexico needed to win by six goals to reach the coveted semifinals, which hold two Olympic berths for the winners.

Guatemala will face Honduras and Canada will play the United States in Thursday's semifinals at Nashville, Tenn.

Sanchez could pay with job as coach

By Ivan Orozco

CARSON – As a steady wind blew in murky clouds above The Home Depot Center yesterday, things began to grow dimmer for Mexico's under-23 national soccer team and its coach, Hugo Sanchez.

Sanchez's “El Tri” won't be going anywhere this summer, certainly not to Beijing for the Olympic Games.

What is dubbed as the “Golden Generation,” the team that is supposed to change international fortunes for Mexican soccer, faced the virtually impossible task of scoring six goals to stay alive and contend for one of two CONCACAF berths to China.

Contrary to its outings earlier in the eight-team qualifying tournament held in Carson and Tampa, Fla., Mexico scrounged up more goals in a 5-1 win against a short-handed Haiti team than in its previous two matches combined.

But that wasn't enough. Urged by a mostly pro-Mexico crowed of 12,824, El Tri fell one goal short of moving on to Thursday's semifinals in Nashville, Tenn.

Instead, facing the United States will be Canada, which routed Guatemala 5-0 in the first match of a doubleheader. That gave the Canadians four points, same as Mexico, but Canada had the advantage in the goals-scored column.

Guatemala will take on Honduras in the other semifinal.

Not only failing to reaching the Olympics, but not making it out of the qualifying group could put Sanchez's job in danger more than ever.

Sanchez had come under fire from fans and Mexican media for the team's poor performance during preparation matches and qualifiers.

“This is a failure,” Sanchez said. “I don't like to use that word, but you guys (the media) are going to keep asking me until I say it. It was our plan to go to the Olympics, so not being there is disappointing. It also stops us from making history. We've never won an Olympic medal.”

CARSON, California (AP) -- Mexico missed out on qualifying for the Beijing Olympics despite trouncing Haiti 5-1 on Sunday night.

Mexico tied Canada for second place in Group B with four points apiece in the CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying tournament, but Canada advances to the March 20 semifinals in Nashville, Tennessee based on goal differential after downing Guatemala 5-0, the group winner .

[q
url="http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKN1744642820080317"]MEXICO
CITY, March 17 (Reuters) - Beleaguered Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez came
under pressure to quit on Monday after the country's under-23 team
failed to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Sanchez's team failed to beat Haiti by a big enough margin on Sunday to
advance to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying
tournament being played in the U.S..

Mexico's leading sports newspaper Record published a brief but scathing front-page editorial deriding Sanchez.

"Hugo, have some dignity and quit. Don't bring on any more shame," the paper said.

Sanchez, one of Mexico's greatest players, said the country's recent
performances were a disappointment but hinted he would try to hold on
to his job. His contract runs until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"We couldn't pull it off. We failed," Sanchez said after the game
against Haiti, which Mexico won 5-1 when they needed a bigger victory
to finish above Canada in second place in their group.

Group winners Guatemala and Canada advanced to the semi-finals, with
the U.S. and Honduras going through from the other group. The winners
of Thursday's semi-finals go to the Beijing Games in August.[/q]

[q
url="http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hqCpnkeKhGG96Gzh43kAGerXMXnw"]Sanchez
signed a four-year contract to coach the Mexican national team,
including the under-23 side.

Sanchez is a hero in Mexican
soccer, having led the Spanish league in scoring five times while
playing for Real Madrid. He executed a four-year campaign in which he
repeatedly criticized then-national team coach Ricardo La Volpe and
promised to make the team a world champion.

He nearly achieved his goal of getting Mexico into the Copa America final, losing in the semifinals to Argentina in July.

While acknowledging the Olympic program has failed, he said he wouldn't resign.

"I
have a contract signed until 2010, with the South African World Cup,"
Sanchez said. "This has been a major failure, but I'm waiting for the
final exam in 2010."[/q]