LOS ANGELES, California:
SOUTH AFRICA are counting their lucky stars after scoring a largely unexpected 2-1win over regional giants Mexico, in their CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C opener at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on Friday night.
"They say fortune favours the brave and that's what I think the boys deserved tonight," South Africa's head coach, Stuart Baxter, commented after their famous victory.
Making comparisons to Mexico's huge win over world champions Brazil a week earlier in the just concluded Confederations Cup, Baxter said.
"Mexico got in their defence shape, Brazil couldn't score a goal and we knew if we let them get it, it would be troublesome. We tried to set our shape where we could hit them very quickly and that was our only chance," he said.
"We had to hit them quickly and concentrate on our set plays. I thought we played about as well as we could in the first half, Mexico are a quality team, the second half we rode our luck. We led 2-0, Mexico had some chances, but we kept being brave."
ENTHRALLING FINISH
Phillip Evans (28th) and Elrio Van Heerden (41st), who headed in a corner from the back post, scored for South Africa while Mexican defender Francisco Rodriguez scored seven minutes from time to set up an enthralling finish.
Mexico, with seven starters from their Confed Cup fourth-place unit, dominated possession and hit the post on a couple of occasions but had faulty shooting to blame on their loss as only four of their 21 goal attempts were on target.
South Africa, who counter-attacked well enough for the majority of the second half, also had four shots on target but they reeled off only nine tries.
"There are some games you just can't win," Mexico's Argentine head coach, Ricardo Lavolpe, lamented afterwards. "It was a poor result for us, and it wasn't for lack of trying. We were just unable to find the goals when we needed them. We did put forward a good performance."
Mexico are bottom of the table without a point alongside Guatemala, who they need to beat to rekindle hopes of advancing to the quarter-final.
.
