Funes Mori's 2 goals lead Mexico over Guatemala in Gold Cup
DALLAS (AP) - Rogelio Funes Mori scored twice and Orbelín Pineda added a goal to lead defending champion Mexico over Guatemala 3-0 on Wednesday night in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Funes Mori, a 30-year-old born in Argentina, scored his second and third goals for Mexico. He made his debut in a June 3 exhibition against Nigeria and was playing his third international match.
Mexico had opened Group A with a 0-0 draw against Trinidad and Tobago, and Guatemala lost to El Salvador 2-0. Mexico closes the group stage against El Salvador on Sunday in Dallas.
In a match delayed by a storm, Funes Mori put El Tri ahead in the 29th minute, chesting a lofted pass from Héctor Herrera just inside the penalty area, cutting the ball back to his right foot and beating goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen from 12 yards.
Funes Mori doubled the lead in the 55th with a right-footed shot from 8 yards off a cross from Pineda, and Pineda added a goal on a 6-yard leaping header in the 79th from a Luis Rodríguez cross.
At Frisco, Texas, El Salvador (2-0) assured itself a quarterfinals bertg with a 2-0 win over Trinidad on goals by Jairo Henriquez in the 30th minute and Walmer Martínez in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. The Soca Warriors have a draw and a loss going into Saturday´s game against Guatemala in Frisco.
Mexico midfielder Orbelin Pineda (10) does a flip after scoring a goal against Guatemala as forward Rogelio Funes Mori (11) looks on during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A soccer match in Dallas, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP
Mexico forward Rogelio Funes Mori (11) celebrates his second goal against Guatemala during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A soccer match in Dallas, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Mexico forward Rogelio Funes Mori (11) celebrates his goal in front of Guatemala midfielder Oscar Santis (18) during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A soccer match in Dallas, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Mexico midfielder Orbelin Pineda (10) scores as he is defended by Guatemala defender Jose Morales (22) during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A soccer match in Dallas, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Mexico defender Carlos Salcedo (3) and Guatemala forward Darwin Lom (14) battle for the ball during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A soccer match in Dallas, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
