Pablo Barrera coming on and scoring - Image from Reuters
Giovani dos Santos salutes the fans support - Image from ReutersMexico now meets Costa Rica in the semifinals on Thursday.
How apt that it is in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois that will be the coliseum for the Gold Cup semifinal wars.
Below is an excellent player assessment done by Joel Aceves in Goal.com.
Guillermo Ochoa (7) - The club America goal keeper had a very quiet game as Haiti posed very little threat on goal. Still, Ochoa did well to keep a clean sheet by resolving the few problems created by the Haitians; especially early in the second-half when the Mexican defense appeared to be caught napping.
Johnny Magallon (6) The Chivas defender continues looking for his old form of which he delivered a few glimpses. Overall, Magallon had a decent match perhaps helped by the fact that Haiti played a very defensive match-up.
Ismael Rodriguez (5) Rodriguez had a regular performance seemed shaky at times and was lucky to not have a penalty kick call against him twenty minutes into the second-half. The America defender will have to pick up his slack for the semi-finals because Costa Rica will not be as forgiving.
Efrain Juarez (5) Regular performance by Juarez who had a few runs into attack but was lacking in accuracy and could have contributed more to the teams attack. Defensively Juarez did his job.
Fausto Pinto (5) The Cruz Azul defender posted a decent performance and was rarely called into action. With Mexico’s victory already in the bag, Pinto was subbed out for Guiller Franco.
Gerardo Torrado (6) The Tricolor team captain was solid in midfield. Defensively, Torrado did well to disrupt the Haitians attack. Still, the Cruz Azul midfielder continues to have problems with his ball distribution.
Israel Castro (5) Castro had a regular performance but was overshadowed by his bad penalty kick shot; which Sabah rescued to open the scoring. Castro shook off his miss in the second-half but went largely unnoticed.
Carlos Esquivel (6) The Toluca striker had a good game but was not as imposing as expected. Equivel combined with medina; who set up Gio for the goal. Other than that we could have seen the last match for Esquivel as the likes of Vela, Bravo, and Franco patiently wait for their turn.
Alberto Medina (6) The silky Medina played his best match of the Gold Cup; cementing his position in the starting eleven. The Chivas striker missed a goal early on the match but made up for it with a cheeky pass to Gio; who doubled Mexico’s lead.
Giovani dos Santos: (8) Gio, highly regarded as Mexico’s best player throughout the Gold Cup, finally managed to find the back of the net with a superb strike, in the 42nd minute, to double Mexico’s lead. Gio continued to guide Mexico’s attack by setting up both Sabah and Barrera with well placed corner kick crosses.
Miguel Sabah (8) The Morelia striker finally had his breakthrough performance by bagging a double. Sabah opened the scoring, in the 23rd minute, after rescuing a poor penalty kick shot by Castro and then gave Mexico a comfortable three-goal lead after heading in a corner kick cross by Gio.
Substitutes
Pablo Barrera (7) The Pumas striker replaced Esquivel in the second-half and proved to be far more productive. Barrera capped his performance with a world class goal after connecting a Giovani corner kick cross with a right footed volley to seal Mexico’s victory.
Guillermo Franco (5) El “Guille” Franco played his first minutes of the Gold Cup, after coming in for Fausto Pinto in the second-half, and contributed as Haiti’s punching bag. The unemployed striker did well to hold the ball and even better to take quite a few late tackles.
Jose Antonio “Gringo” Castro (5) El Gringo Castro replaced Sabah in the 80th minute when the match had long been resolved.
Haiti
Jean Zephirin 6 - Had a very busy night earning his pay. The game could have well been 5-0 by half time but Zephirin kept his team in the game in the early stages. Zephirin had a good game but he had no help from his defense leading to the 4 goals.
Raymond Ednerson 6 - Had good runs down the left flank and beat his marker but his services never created any danger
Frantz Gilles 4 - Had problems keeping pace with the “Cristiano Ronaldo of Mexico”, Pablo Barrera.
Judelin Aveska 3 - Saved a goal from going in but at the same time conceded a penalty which led to the first goal. Lost his man on the third goal and almost committed a silly foul
Pierre Bruny 4 - Did not do very well with the line defense that Haiti was showing. The Mexicans were beating him with their runs.
Frantz Bertin 4.5 - Saved a potential goal in which Giovani Dos Santos was already winding up to take the shot but Bertin poked it away.
James Marcelin 4 - Lost Pablo Barrera off a corner which resulted in a great goal from Pablo Barrera.
Vaniel Sirin 5.5 - Earned a yellow card early in the game which impeded any physical challenges for the rest of the game. Had one of the best shots but it was thrown out to a corner by Guillermo Ochoa.
Mones Chery 3 - Was practically a no show for the Haitian offense as he could do nothing down the right flank.
Leonel Saint-Preux 5.5 - Preux was active up top but lacked the finishing power and also seemed to take his shot’s too early. Was brought down inside the box in what looked to be a penalty but it was never called
Fabrice Noel 6 - Had a clear chance early in the second chance but he waited too long to have a go. In that same play he had another clear shot on goal where he slid into the ball instead of giving it power, where Ochoa made an easy save.
Substitutes
Markorel Sampeur 4-Had a go in the dying minutes but his shot went wide, after that he had no more influence in the game.
Brunel Fucien 4.5 - Had a good look at goal halfway through the second half. He threw himself at the ball though and gave it no direction
Robin Jerome - N/A
Johnny Magallon (6) The Chivas defender continues looking for his old form of which he delivered a few glimpses. Overall, Magallon had a decent match perhaps helped by the fact that Haiti played a very defensive match-up.
Ismael Rodriguez (5) Rodriguez had a regular performance seemed shaky at times and was lucky to not have a penalty kick call against him twenty minutes into the second-half. The America defender will have to pick up his slack for the semi-finals because Costa Rica will not be as forgiving.
Efrain Juarez (5) Regular performance by Juarez who had a few runs into attack but was lacking in accuracy and could have contributed more to the teams attack. Defensively Juarez did his job.
Fausto Pinto (5) The Cruz Azul defender posted a decent performance and was rarely called into action. With Mexico’s victory already in the bag, Pinto was subbed out for Guiller Franco.
Gerardo Torrado (6) The Tricolor team captain was solid in midfield. Defensively, Torrado did well to disrupt the Haitians attack. Still, the Cruz Azul midfielder continues to have problems with his ball distribution.
Israel Castro (5) Castro had a regular performance but was overshadowed by his bad penalty kick shot; which Sabah rescued to open the scoring. Castro shook off his miss in the second-half but went largely unnoticed.
Carlos Esquivel (6) The Toluca striker had a good game but was not as imposing as expected. Equivel combined with medina; who set up Gio for the goal. Other than that we could have seen the last match for Esquivel as the likes of Vela, Bravo, and Franco patiently wait for their turn.
Alberto Medina (6) The silky Medina played his best match of the Gold Cup; cementing his position in the starting eleven. The Chivas striker missed a goal early on the match but made up for it with a cheeky pass to Gio; who doubled Mexico’s lead.
Giovani dos Santos: (8) Gio, highly regarded as Mexico’s best player throughout the Gold Cup, finally managed to find the back of the net with a superb strike, in the 42nd minute, to double Mexico’s lead. Gio continued to guide Mexico’s attack by setting up both Sabah and Barrera with well placed corner kick crosses.
Miguel Sabah (8) The Morelia striker finally had his breakthrough performance by bagging a double. Sabah opened the scoring, in the 23rd minute, after rescuing a poor penalty kick shot by Castro and then gave Mexico a comfortable three-goal lead after heading in a corner kick cross by Gio.
Substitutes
Pablo Barrera (7) The Pumas striker replaced Esquivel in the second-half and proved to be far more productive. Barrera capped his performance with a world class goal after connecting a Giovani corner kick cross with a right footed volley to seal Mexico’s victory.
Guillermo Franco (5) El “Guille” Franco played his first minutes of the Gold Cup, after coming in for Fausto Pinto in the second-half, and contributed as Haiti’s punching bag. The unemployed striker did well to hold the ball and even better to take quite a few late tackles.
Jose Antonio “Gringo” Castro (5) El Gringo Castro replaced Sabah in the 80th minute when the match had long been resolved.
Haiti
Jean Zephirin 6 - Had a very busy night earning his pay. The game could have well been 5-0 by half time but Zephirin kept his team in the game in the early stages. Zephirin had a good game but he had no help from his defense leading to the 4 goals.
Raymond Ednerson 6 - Had good runs down the left flank and beat his marker but his services never created any danger
Frantz Gilles 4 - Had problems keeping pace with the “Cristiano Ronaldo of Mexico”, Pablo Barrera.
Judelin Aveska 3 - Saved a goal from going in but at the same time conceded a penalty which led to the first goal. Lost his man on the third goal and almost committed a silly foul
Pierre Bruny 4 - Did not do very well with the line defense that Haiti was showing. The Mexicans were beating him with their runs.
Frantz Bertin 4.5 - Saved a potential goal in which Giovani Dos Santos was already winding up to take the shot but Bertin poked it away.
James Marcelin 4 - Lost Pablo Barrera off a corner which resulted in a great goal from Pablo Barrera.
Vaniel Sirin 5.5 - Earned a yellow card early in the game which impeded any physical challenges for the rest of the game. Had one of the best shots but it was thrown out to a corner by Guillermo Ochoa.
Mones Chery 3 - Was practically a no show for the Haitian offense as he could do nothing down the right flank.
Leonel Saint-Preux 5.5 - Preux was active up top but lacked the finishing power and also seemed to take his shot’s too early. Was brought down inside the box in what looked to be a penalty but it was never called
Fabrice Noel 6 - Had a clear chance early in the second chance but he waited too long to have a go. In that same play he had another clear shot on goal where he slid into the ball instead of giving it power, where Ochoa made an easy save.
Substitutes
Markorel Sampeur 4-Had a go in the dying minutes but his shot went wide, after that he had no more influence in the game.
Brunel Fucien 4.5 - Had a good look at goal halfway through the second half. He threw himself at the ball though and gave it no direction
Robin Jerome - N/A
From Joel Aceves, Goal.com
Go over to Goal.com for great coverage on the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009.
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