It took 69 minutes and multiple close calls, but Mexico finally broke through in the second half of their Copa América opener against Jamaica on Saturday night.
The goal came from an unlikely source in Gerardo Arteaga, who found the net for just the second time in an El Tri jersey. For the vibrant crowd of mostly Mexican fans at NRG Stadium in Houston, it didn’t matter where it came from just that it finally came after tragedy struck the team in the first half.
Edson Álvarez, El Tri’s most accomplished player, went down with a non-contact injury 27 minutes into the match. He grabbed his hamstring as he lay on the grass writhing in pain. A stretcher was brought out for the West Ham midfielder who was clearly in agony, but he was instead helped off the pitch by two trainers. He wouldn’t return and his status moving forward remains unclear.