Mexico eliminated from Copa America after 0-0 Ecuador draw
NBC Universal, Inc.
Mexico is out.
El Tri on Sunday drew to Ecuador 0-0 in the final game of Group B, solidifying their third-place status which will not be enough to advance into the Copa America knockout stages.
Mexico dominated most of the game versus Ecuador, with the latter mostly playing on the counter with 34-year-old Enner Valencia serving as the main transition outlet.
However, Valencia couldn't do much mostly on his own while El Tri dominated the stat sheet without the results to show for it.
El Tri managed 0.85 expected goals, via FotMob, with 19 total shots and four big chances missed. Ecuador, for comparison's sake, had just 0.42 expected goals on nine total shots and no big chances.
Mexico had a last-second penalty shout when Guillermo Martinez fell in the box, but it was overturned as Felix Torres got all ball on his tackle attempt.
With the result, Mexico fell to 1-1-1 in the group stage. It beat Jamaica in the group-stage opener but lost to Venezuela in the second game.
Venezuela topped the group thanks to three consecutive wins, while Ecuador finished in second with the same record as Mexico but it advanced due to superior goal difference (plus-one to zero).
Ecuador will now play Lionel Messi and the defending champions Argentina in the quarterfinal on Thursday, July 4. Venezuela will meet Canada.
Mexico will now again have to return to the drawing board after not advancing past the 2022 World Cup group stage, either.
But El Tri may not be the first major exit in the tournament. The U.S. men's national team could follow suit Monday but if it cannot get a result against Uruguay, which will instead see Panama advance.