Tournament News
Thriller ends in a draw
2010-06-11 18:05
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Johannesburg - A stunning goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala almost gave hosts South
Africa the perfect start to the World Cup before they were held to a
1-1 draw in front of almost 85,000 fans at Soccer City on Friday.
Siphiwe
Tshabalala had given the South Africans the lead in the 55th minute but
the Mexicans levelled through Rafael Marquez in the 79th.
However,
while the South Africans extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches they
will feel that it is three points gone begging after striker Katlego
Mphela hit the post in the 90th minute.
South Africa went
agonisingly close to taking the three points in the final minute of
normal time when Mphela outpaced two defenders but his left footed shot
from an angle came back off the near post.
Kaizer Chiefs winger
Tshabalala had given the hosts a dream lead when he struck with a
piledriver of a left-footed shot in the 55th minute giving goalkeeper
Oscar Perez no chance.
Teko Modise could have made the game safe
for the hosts in the 70th minute when the striker got the better of his
marker but one on one with Perez he shot weakly allowing the Mexican
'keeper to gather easily.
Modise's miss proved costly as the
Mexicans levelled through Marquez in the 79th minute as a ball lofted
over the top of the hosts defence found the Barcleona star and he
coolly slotted it past goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
The first-half
had seen the Mexicans dominate and Carlos Vela had the ball in the net
in the 38th minute but it was correctly ruled out for offside.
TeamsSouth Africa: Itumeleng Khune, Siboniso Gaxa, Aaron Mokoena
(capt), Siphiwe Tshabalala, Katlego Mphela, Steven Pienaar, Teko
Modise, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Lucas Thwala, Bongani
Khumalo.
Mexico: Oscar Perez, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos
Salcido, Rafael Marquez, Ricardo Osorio, Gerardo Torrado (capt),
Guillermo Franco, Carlos Vela, Paul Aguilar, Efrain Juarez, Giovani dos
Santos.