GLENDALE (Arizona): With their best players absent, Mexico have been anything but dominant in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Still, “El Tri” have moved on to the tournament’s semi-finals.

A goal by Rodolfo Pizarro just over three minutes into the game was all the offence holders Mexico could muster in a 1-0 quarter-final victory over Honduras on Thursday night.

Orbelin Pineda started the play on the left side with a short back pass to Jesus Duenas, who redirected across the front of the goal to the back post, giving Pizarro an easy tap in.

With their offence bogged down, Mexico survived several near-misses by Hond­uras in the second half at the University of Phoenix Stad­ium and took another step towards trying to win a record-extending eighth Gold Cup.

Mexico advance to Sunday’s semi-final to set up a rematch of the 2015 final against Jamaica, who punched their ticket earlier in the day with a 2-1 win over Canada. Mexico and Jamaica faced each other in the group stage where they played to a 0-0 draw.

The semi-final will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The USA and Costa Rica will square off in the other semi-final at AT&T Stadium on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Tournament joint favourites Mexico brought a second-string team, without many top players who had played in the recently completed Confederations Cup in Russia.

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio said on Wednesday that he had planned to bring some of those players to the Gold Cup but was thwarted by “our bosses and their clubs.” Only one of the 23 players on Mexico’s roster played in the Confederations Cup.

“We are getting better each game and the object now is to reach the final,” Pizarro told TV cameras after the game. “We knew it would be a hard game and difficult to get behind them as they play deep.”

Earlier on Thursday, Jamaica’s Shaun Francis put his side ahead after just six minutes with a powerful side-footed shot and Romario Williams doubled their leader five minutes into the second period when he curled the ball into the far corner from just outside the box.

Canada’s David Junior Hoilett scored an almost identical goal five minutes later but the Reggae Boyz held on to progress.

“It wasn’t easy,” said Jam­a­ican goalkeeper Andre Blake. “Canada is a very good team. I think we lapsed a little bit. We figured it out and we won the match.”

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2017