Sunday, october 29nd, 2023.- Mexico pulled off one of the main surprises in male football at Santiago 2023. On the final day of the group stage, they defeated Uruguay by a narrow margin, eliminating " La Celeste" from the tournament.

An own goal by Alan Saldivia, in the 28th minute, secured victory for the North Americans at the Estadio Elías Figueroa in Valparaíso.

The result could have been more decisive, but Uruguayan goalkeeper Ramiro Méndez saved a penalty from Fidel Ambriz in the first minute.

With Chile already qualified for the semifinals, "La Celeste" needed a victory to reach the top four. However, their loss dashed those hopes, which led to a commotion at the end of the match.

Meanwhile, "El Tri" needed the win to stay in contention. Now, they must wait for the result of Sunday afternoon's match between Chile and the Dominican Republic, scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Mexico needs the Dominican Republic to not win against the host team by more than a two-goal margin in order to secure a place in the semifinals of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Written by Verónica Torres; translated by Rocio Rojas / Photosport
Photo by Manuel Lema O / Santiago 2023 / Photosport