Mexico beat Paraguay to set up a clash with Brazil in the semifinals of the first Women’s Gold Cup. The US and Canada will face up in the other semifinal. Both games are set to take place on Wednesday, March 6th.
La Tri, who didn’t even qualify for the previous World Cup, came to this W Gold Cup as anything but a favorite. But after a solid Group Stage, where they even managed a 2-0 win over perennial favorite USWNT, their first win over them in 14 years, Mexico goes into their semifinal against Brazil convinced they can compete.
Brazil, in turn, won their quarterfinal match, against Argentina, 5-1.
It was challenging for Mexico in the match against Paraguay, which ended 3-2. Lizbeth Ovalle scored twice for Mexico, which gives her a total of five goals in the tournament. But the team, which led 3-1 at one point, had some shaky moments after taking a comfortable 3-1 lead.
Paraguay came close to tying the game, and the South American team even missed a penalty shot that might have changed the course of the match. But Mexico had its chances too, in a game with a great deal of back-and-forth and at least one more clear chance from Ovalle herself.
It was not to be, and in the end, Mexico survived and advanced to the semifinals.
Brazil and a team that very comfortably scored five goals await. That game will be played at 7ET/4PT on Wednesday, March 6th. It can be watched on CBS and Paramount+ in English and ESPN in Spanish in the US, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. It can also be watched on the CONCACAF Official Platform for all other territories.