Trinidad and Tobago held on to win Group C at the Gold Cup after an absolutely bonkers 4-4 tie with Mexico in Charlotte on Wednesday.
Paul Aguilar and Carlos Vela staked Mexico to a 2-0 lead, but Kenwyne Jones and Kieron Cummings netted twice in four minutes to tie it up for Trinidad and Tobago
Cummings gave Trinidad a lead, but Andres Guardado netted just minutes before the final whistle. Here’s the thing, though: there were two more goals to come, one from each side as Yohance Marshall canceled out a Jones own goal.
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Mexico tested the goal early, when Paul Aguilar let fly near the right corner of the 18, but Marvin Phillip was in the right position to make an easy save.
Aguilar didn’t miss in the 31st minute, when he nutmegged Phillip after a flick from new L.A. Galaxy midfielder Giovani dos Santos.Goal MEX - No.22 Paul AGUILAR - MEX 1-0 TRI #GoldCup2015 #CopaOro2015 @miseleccionmx @TTFootballAssoc http://t.co/uPIxTz6wm8
— Gold Cup 2015 (@GoldCup) July 16, 2015
Vela made it 2-0 just after halftime when his shot from the left took a turn off the inside of the post and into the goal. Mexico looked set to win Group C.
Not. So. Fast.
Kenwyne Jones’ dribble into the 18 sucked all three Mexican defenders to him, and his deflected pass found Cummings for T&T’s first goal in the 55th minute.
Then San Jose’s Cordell Cato found Jones’ thundering run into the middle of the 18, and the Stoke City man made no doubt of his chance to equalize. It was 2-2, and quickly.
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It was Jones again in the 67th minute, laying the ball off for Cummings. T&T’s No. 20 curled a left-footed shot around an out-of-position Guillermo Ochoa to make it 3-2.
Jesus Corona had a golden chance to score in the 85th minute, and cranked an in-close shot off the crossbar.
But the captain! Guardado collected a rebound atop the arc, took a touch and hammered a swerving shot into the goal. 3-3. Get out of here.
But wait, there’s more: Jones deflected an own goal home, only for Marshall to head home the eighth goal of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage.
Trinidad and Tobago will face Panama, while Mexico gets Costa Rica.