Qatar Shocks Mexico, Advances To Gold Cup Football Quarterfinals

In an exciting turn of events, Qatar secured a 1-0 victory over Mexico, advancing to the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Meanwhile, Jesus Ferreira made history by becoming the first player to score consecutive hat-tricks for the USA, contributing to a resounding 6-0 triumph over Trinidad and Tobago.

In Group A, Jamaica comfortably secured a place in the quarter-finals alongside the USA. They achieved this feat by registering a convincing 5-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday in Santa Clara, California.

In Group B, Qatar delivered a stunning upset by defeating Mexico, who had already secured qualification, thereby securing the second spot in the group.

This result denied Honduras a chance to advance to the next stage, despite their 2-1 victory over Haiti.

Qatar, participating as a guest team for the second time in the North, Central America, and Caribbean tournament, with their eyes set on hosting the 2022 World Cup, showcased resilience in the face of a relentless second-half assault from Mexico.

Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach leading Qatar, saw his team take the lead in the 27th minute. Musaab Khidir provided a cross from the right, and Hazem Shehata expertly scored with an angled header.

Although Mexico dominated the match, they were unable to break through the resolute Qatari defense, with that solitary goal proving to be the decisive factor.

Santiago Gimenez, who managed to avoid a red card after a review for a reckless arm swing on a Qatari defender, missed the target from a favorable position, followed by Edson Alvarez hitting the post with a header.

In the dying moments of added time, Israel Reyes had an opportunity to equalize and secure Honduras' advancement to the knockout stage, but his header also failed to find its mark.

Qatar, the current Asian champions, made it to the semifinals of the Gold Cup during their last participation as guests two years ago.

St Kitts, participating in the tournament for the first time, struggled against a dominant Jamaica side.

The breakthrough came after 30 minutes when Kaheem Parris delivered a low cross into the box, which was inadvertently turned into the net by the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Julani Archibald, Al Jazeera reported.

Despite having two goals disallowed for offside, the Reggae Boyz extended their lead when Jon Russell found the back of the net with a clever back-heel assist from Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey.

Di'Shon Bernard made it 3-0 after an impressive run from the influential Demarai Gray, and goals from Daniel Johnson and Cory Burke completed the comprehensive victory.

Both the USA and Jamaica finished with seven points in Group A, having drawn their match, but the Americans secured the top spot in the group due to a better goal difference.