They may have left it late, but Mexico was able to come back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Honduras 4-0 and advance to the semifinals of the Concacaf Nations League on Tuesday, winning 4-2 on aggregate. After an eventful first leg in Honduras, the tension could be felt in Toluca as it took Mexico until almost half-time to find their first goal through the in-form Raúl Jiménez. Keeping the offensive pressure high, Henry Martín scored off an assist from Jiménez before Jorge Sánchez found the eventual game-winning goal in the 85th minute of play. To put things out of sight, Martín would secure a double from the penalty spot to give relief to El Tri.
Mexico has struggled in recent tournaments, being eliminated from the group stages of the 2022 World Cup and Copa América, but was able to stay calm and turn this tie around despite the tensions everywhere. . In the first leg, coach Javier Aguirre’s head was bloodied after being hit by a can from the stands and his own conduct in the match is still under investigation by Concacaf. After Mexico’s goal, there was also a meeting between Mexican and Honduran players, but it cooled down before it escalated to the point where cards were handed out.
There are a lot of things El Tri will want to work on between now and the semifinals that start in March, but they are easier to do since there are still competitive games on their schedule. Because Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup, the Concacaf Nations League is their only chance to play competitive games that matter, as the pressure on comebacks like this one against Honduras will help improve the team ahead of a critical World Cup. at home. .
Mexico was without forward Santiago Giménez for this window, but that didn’t stop them from finding the back of the net. Defensively, El Tri was also strong at home, limiting Honduras to just two shots on goal. That defensive improvement is something Aguirre will want to take advantage of as he figures out his best attack.
The Conacaf Nations League semifinals will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in March, when Mexico takes on Canada and the United States takes on Panama.
