Mexico beats Panama 2-1 to win first Concacaf Nations League title

Raul Jimenez scored his second goal on a penalty kick in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, and Mexico beat Panama 2-1 Sunday night to win the Concacaf Nations League tournament for the first time.

Jiménez, the 33-year-old Fulham striker, dominated the week at SoFi Stadium with all four of Mexico’s goals in El Tri’s two matches. He scored on a header in the eighth minute against Panama, and he finally cashed in on the penalty awarded when defender Jose Cordoba touched the ball with his inexplicably outstretched arm while chasing after it in the 90th minute.

Adalberto Carrasquilla scored on a penalty in first-half injury time for underdog Panama, which staged a dramatic 1-0 upset of the host U.S. on Thursday night to reach the final.

The championship match was briefly suspended with 10 minutes left in regulation after a large portion of the raucous crowd of 68,212 repeatedly shouted the homophobic Spanish slur that is commonly used at Mexican matches both foreign and domestic despite several governing bodies’ attempts to eradicate it. The players took a water break while anti-slur messages appeared on the scoreboard and over the public address system.

Misbehavior aside, Mexico feels right at home in the Los Angeles Rams’ palatial stadium — or anywhere in Southern California, where El Tri invariably draws rowdy, adoring crowds. Mexico also won the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup at SoFi, beating Panama 1-0 on Santi Giménez’s late goal.

The U.S. had won the first three editions of this tournament, which brings together the nations of North and Central America and the Caribbean. But with Jiménez in dominant form, Mexico stepped up to claim this trophy.

Jiménez played alongside Giménez in the Nations League semifinals and finals, with coach Javier Aguirre using an aggressive alignment to create offense. It worked splendidly thanks to Jiménez, who needed only a few minutes to get Mexico on top in the final.

After Roberto Alvarado put a long, beautiful cross into the box, Jiménez outmaneuvered a defender and bounced in a header that set off a raucous celebration at SoFi.

[MORE: USMNT caps miserable Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada]

Panama dominated possession and generated more shot attempts in the first half, and it finally paid off when video review determined center back Johan Vasquez committed a foul in the Mexico penalty area shortly before halftime. Carrasquilla barely got his shot above goalkeeper Luis Malagon’s trailing legs to tie it.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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