PHOENIX, Arizona, CMC – A controversial extra-time penalty by Raul Jimenez shattered Haiti’s CONCACAF Gold Cup dreams as they went out of the competition with a 1-0 defeat to Mexico in the first semi-final here Tuesday night.
Regular time at State Farm Stadium ended with the scores still locked at nil-all but the game changed in the third minute of the first period of extra time when Herve Bazile was adjudged to have fouled Jimenez with a high boot in the area.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward then calmly finished low to the right of goalkeeper Jhony Placide to put Mexico ahead for good in the contest.
Minutes later, Jimenez almost doubled his side’s advantage when he curled his drive just over the crossbar from 17 yards out and with the pressure intensifying on the Haitian goal, Placide was forced into a one-handed save at point blank range to deny Rodolfo Pizarro.
In the dying moments, Haiti almost snatched the equaliser but substitute Mikael Cantave smashed his curling long-range volley onto the uprights with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa beaten.
Mexico had earlier had the lion share of chances in regular time, Jimenez firing over from six yards out in the 12th minute and Carlos Salcedo blasting wide in the 56th minute. Captain Andres Guardado then forced Placide into an acrobatic save in the 66th minute with a superb free kick, as Mexico continued to dominate.
