Mexico defeat Jamaica 2-0, advance to Copa America Centenario knockout stages

A early Chicharito header and a late Oribe Peralta finish was enough for the Mexican National Team to overcome Jamaica 2-0 before a festive crowd of 83,263 Thursday night at the Rose Bowl. With the win, Mexico advances to the quarterfinals of the Copa America Centenario.

¡Tenemos once confirmado!

¡La #Alineación es presentada por @adidasMX!#FirstNeverFollows pic.twitter.com/uoDCnidOut

— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) June 10, 2016

Manager Juan Carlos Osorio made a slew of changes to the lineup that performed so impressively against Uruguay, but the results were less than desirable. El Tri struggled to recreate their fluidity in attack, while Jamaica had chance after chance in the first half, enjoying plenty of golden opportunities but only a combination of horrid finishing and suberb goalkeeping from Gullermo Ochoa kept the Reggae Boyz off the scoresheet.

However, Mexico did dominate the flow of the game, and Jamaica would pay in the 18th minute when Jesus Manuel Corona had time and space inside the box to locate Javier Hernandez, and Chicarito used every inch of his 5' 9" frame to redirect a header to the far corner that keeper Andre Blake could onto parry into the net.

The second half was back and forth as both teams exchanged chances despite Mexico cruising, but in the 81st minute it was Oribe Peralta who ran onto a Hector Herrera touch and did just enough to scuff a low left footed shot past the outstretched dive of Blake, off the right post and in to secure the victory.

However there will be questions for Mexico, who were lucky not to concede a penalty in the 63rd minute and could be exposed against a better opponent.