Mexico beat Senegal in six-goal thriller

Football Saturday Mexico     4 - 2     Senegal Japan     3 - 0     Egypt Brazil     3 - 2     Honduras Great Britain 1-1(4-5) Korea Rep

Sunday, August 05, 2012

FootballSaturdayMexico     4 - 2     Senegal Japan     3 - 0     Egypt Brazil     3 - 2     Honduras Great Britain 1-1(4-5) Korea Rep LONDON - Mexico will play Japan in the semifinals of the men’s Olympic soccer after beating Senegal 4-2 after extra time in a thrilling quarterfinal that delighted a crowd of almost 82 000 at Wembley on Saturday.Mexico, 2-0 up midway through the second half, were pegged back to 2-2 by the African debutants before Giovani Dos Santos put them back in front after 98 minutes when he pounced on an error by Papa Gueye to fire home for his third goal of the tournament.Substitute Hector Herrera made it 4-2 after 109 minutes when he headed home following some more loose defending to put Mexico into the last four for the first time since they hosted the Olympics in 1968.Japan also made it through to the last four for the first time since they beat Mexico in the bronze medal match in 1968 after keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet with a 3-0 win over Egypt.The north African side were reduced to 10 men in the 41st minute at Old Trafford in Manchester, where 70 000 fans turned up for the often maligned men’s Olympic soccer tournament.Team GB’s men suffered penalty heartbreak in Cardiff after a 1-1 draw as South Korea earned a semi-final against Brazil, who beat Honduras 3-2.The Japan-Mexico semifinal will be at Wembley on Tuesday with the other game at Old Trafford on the same night.