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Champions Mexico oust Brazil in U-17 World Cup

Raul Gudino was the hero as reigning champions Mexico knocked highly fancied Brazil out of the Fifa U-17 World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout ended 11-10 in this quarter-final.

With the two teams tied at 1-1 after normal time at Rashid Stadium on Friday evening, this last-eight clash went straight to spot kicks without the need for an additional 30 minutes of extra-time, which isn’t implemented at this tournament.

Alexandre Gallo’s side crucially went first in this 12-yard showdown, meaning the pressure would always be progressively mounting on their Mexican opponents if they continually converted their dead-ball chances initially.

Five found the target from the outset for Brazil to lead 3-2 when Mexico captain Ulises Rivas saw his attempt – the sixth – palmed away by Marcos.

Subsequent conversions by Danilo and Erick Aguirre left Gallo’s squad on the cusp of progression and second-half Gabriel with a gilt-edged opportunity to dethrone the World Cup holders.

Mexico’s players were praying for a late reprieve by this stage and Gudino supplied it, diving low to his right to save Gabriel’s effort.

The palpable tension wasn’t exactly over for the boys in green though as, still trailing 4-3, Salomon Wbias needed to register Mexico’s fifth – and final – penalty to force sudden death.

If Wbias was feeling the strain, he certainly didn’t show it as he calmly strode up and produced a Panenka penalty with a subtle, dinked chip.

From 4-4, the next 11 spot-kicks hit the net consecutively. Marcos had successfully registered Brazil’s ninth and now it was Gudino’s turn with Mexico’s 10^th overall.

At 10-9 down, the Mexican goalkeeper couldn’t afford to miss and he duly didn’t with a composed, low finish into the bottom left-hand corner. Gudino did very well to hold his nerve in the circumstances, especially as Brazil’s prior penalty taker Auro had collapsed in a crumpled heap having slotted his one home in a move some observers felt was gamesmanship on his behalf.

If it was, it didn’t work. Gudino kept out Mosquito’s second penalty to afford Alejandro Diaz the opportunity to prolong Mexico’s involvement in this competition and he clinically took it with aplomb and relish.

Earlier, this encounter had failed to ignite for 80 barren minutes as Mexico coach Raul Gutierrez’s prior prediction of an entertaining game from a match that had “all of the ingredients” failed to materialise.

Indeed, both teams were still searching for their respective recipe books for the majority of this dull fare, which — at times — seemed flatter than the thinnest pancake imaginable.

Ivan Ochoa sprung Brazil’s haphazard offside trap and high line to bring a decent save out of Marcos with a stinging shot on 37 minutes.

An Indio free-kick then caught the night air and sailed onto Gudino’s crossbar from a distance at the other end just prior to the break.

Gudino kept out a Danilo header on the hour mark before Mexico took the lead 20 minutes later.

alex@khaleejtimes.com