Mexico beats S. Arabia 5-0
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP): Juan Palencia and Cuauhtemoc Blanco each scored twice and Braulio Luna added a fifth to see Mexico routed Saudi Arabia 5-0 Sunday in a Group A Confederations Cup match.
With flowing soccer and confidence that grew by the minute, the Mexicans dominated the match and were pushed on by the 5,000 Saudis fans, who booed their team for its dismal performance.
In the day's other match, Australia held World champion Brazil to a goalless draw, in an encounter that saw the Aussies block everything that the Brazilians threw at them.
With tight marking on Ronaldo and Bebeto and fast counterattacks, Australia kept Brazil on edge although the Brazilians surrounded them in their own half for almost the entire match.
Australia goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, who ensured the draw for his team, was beaten by Flavio Conceicao's long range shot but it hit the post and was cleared.
"I'm absolutely delighted. Brazil is a difficult team to stop and we earned the result," Australia's coach, Terry Venables, said after the match.
Mario Zagallo, the Brazilian coach, said Brazil did everything but score.
"Brazil controlled the game and the Australians but the chances were not translated into goals," he said.
Spectator
Commenting on Venables' comment that Australia had several scoring chances, Zagallo said that Dida, the Brazilian goalkeeper, was a mere spectator.
"I don't think we are talking about the same match. Or maybe I was in a different stadium," he said.
Having lost their first matches, Saudi Arabia to Brazil 0-3 and Mexico to Australia 1-3, the match was decisive for both teams. Saudi Arabia, Asian champion and on its way to its second successive World Cup finals, pushed forward from the onset looking for an early goal.
Mexico was content to defend and absorb the pressure in the first 15 minutes and then launched its own attacks. It went ahead in the 19th minute after the Saudi defense failed to clear a cross from Braulio Luna and Juan Palencia slid in to score.
Mexico, who has also qualified for France 98, kept up the pressure on its hosts but failed to add to its tally in the first half.
Saudi Arabia attacked after the break in search of an equalizer, but it was Mexico which scored to extend its lead, with Palencia again finding the target in the 63rd minute after Saudi keeper Mohammed Duayea failed to hold a cross from German Villa.
The Saudi defense then fell apart and Blanco broke through in the 71st minute to fire home Mexico's third.
Six minutes later, Luis Hernandez crossed to Luna who had no trouble beating Duayea from close range.
Blanco was not finished and one minute later was onside as the Saudi defense watched him score the fifth.
With the loss, Saudi Arabia has lost any hope of competing for the title.
With Sunday's results, Brazil remains top of the group with four points, ahead of Australia on goal difference, with Mexico third and Saudi Arabia last.
The nine-day, eight-team event pits the champions or runners- up from the six continental federations, World Cup champion Brazil and host Saudi Arabia.
Results
Group A: Australia 0 Brazil 0 Saudi Arabia 0 Mexico 5
Standings
Group A: Team P W D L GF GA Pts Brazil 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 Australia 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 Mexico 2 1 0 1 6 3 3 Saudi Arabia 2 0 0 2 0 8 0
GROUP B: Team P W D L GF GA Pts Uruguay 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 South Africa 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 Czech Republic 1 0 1 0 2 2 1 UAE 1 0 0 1 0 2 0