Mexico will face Brazil for soccer gold medal
Mexico's Javier Cortes (7) is hugged by his teammates after scoring against Japan during a semifinal soccer match at Wembley Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Aug. 7, 2012) Credit: AP
LONDON -- Mexico certainly had a lot to be happy about after its 3-1 semifinal win over Japan on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium.
The Mexicans guaranteed themselves their first Olympic soccer medal of any kind, coming from behind to score two second-half goals without the injured Giovani dos Santos.
"I understand the happiness of Mexico, which is a footballing country," coach Luis Fernando Tena said. "They must be partying back there tonight."
The Mexican players partied in their locker room, as well, singing and dancing. But their hopes for a gold medal were tempered a bit because their star playmaker suffered an undetermined muscle injury and he could be sidelined for Saturday's final at Wembley against Brazil, a 3-0 winner over South Korea.
Tena showed little or no emotion when he spoke of dos Santos' condition, saying that team doctors had not yet determined the nature of the injury.
"He is injured," he said. "We are not sure if he could play in the final."
Losing someone of dos Santos' caliber could be devastating for Mexico against a talented side such as Brazil because he can score or create goals. His 31st-minute corner kick set up Marco Fabian's header goal, which negated Yuki Otsu's fine strike in the 12th minute. Fabian's goal was the first against Japan in this tournament, snapping a 391-minute shutout streak.
Oribe Peralta, taking advantage of a Japan mistake, fired one home from 18 yards in the 65th minute before Javier Cortes tallied three minutes into stoppage time, three minutes after replacing Javier Aquino.
The Mexicans certainly basked in this historic day.
Tena said it was "the most satisfying moment in my career. I hope the whole country is enjoying this for what we have achieved . . . If this is the best historical result for Mexico to get to the Olympic finals, I don't know. That's up for the media to decide."
The closest the Mexicans had come to a soccer medal was a 2-0 loss to Japan in the bronze-medal match at the Mexico City Summer Games in 1968.
Mexican president Felipe Calderon called and congratulated Tena and the team.
"This is special, this is emotional, but the most important is yet to come," Tena said.
That would be Brazil. The Brazilians, five-time World Cup champions, have made it a priority to win their first Olympic gold medal.
"To play against Brazil, it'd be like a dream final," Fabian said.
The Brazilians, who have won all five of their matches while outscoring their foes, 15-5, played well enough to defeat Korea. After Romulo gave them a 37th-minute lead, Lenadro Damiao struck in the 56th and 63rd minutes.
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