Watch: Mexico defeats Costa Rica with controversial late-game penalty
Mexico’s 2014 World Cup ended on a controversial penalty call, one that spurned a No Era Penal rallying cry among the national team and its supporters. In the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Mexico found out what it’s like to be on the other side of that coin.
Mexico defeated Costa Rica 1–0 on an Andres Guardado penalty in the 124th minute of Sunday's quarterfinal after a controversial penalty was awarded to El Tri in stoppage time of the second period of extra time.
All signs pointed toward the match going to penalty kicks like the previous game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. did, a 2–1 Panama victory over Trinidad and Tobago that went to the ninth round.
But in the 122nd minute, Mexico's Oribe Peralta, who was shown a yellow card for a vicious tackle just minutes before that very well should have been red, went up for a cross and was ruled by referee Walter Lopez to have been fouled by Costa Rica's Roy Miller.
Despite adamant protests from Los Ticos, Mexico's Guardado stepped up and buried the ensuing penalty kick in the 124th minute to give El Tri the late lead and propel it to the semifinals.
Mexico will face Panama in one semifinal on Wednesday, July 22 at 9 p.m. ET in Atlanta. The United States takes on Jamaica in the other semifinal earlier that day at 6 p.m. ET.
• 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup schedule and every result
Some current and former U.S. players weighed in on the call on Twitter.
