The capacity crowd at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale got what they wanted as Mexico picked up a 3-1 win over Uruguay in the Copa America Centenario on Sunday. In a match that had a man sent off for both teams, Mexico came out smiling at the final whistle thanks to two late goals.
Those late goals came via Rafael Marquez and Hector Herrera, with Mexico taking early control of Group C in the process.
Without the injured Luis Suarez in the lineup and a partisan Mexico crowd, it was always going to be difficult for Uruguay, with the situation made a lot more complicated when Alvaro Pereira put the ball into his own goal in just the fourth minute of the match.
To make matters worse, Matias Vecino was given a second yellow card just before halftime after a foul on Jesus Manuel Corono.
However, Uruguay refused to let Mexico take control of the match, going on the attack in the second half. And, after a few chances, Diego Godin, the Atletico Madrid defender, looking to get over the disappointment of losing in a second Champions League final in as many years, headed Uruguay level in the 74th minute, off a setpiece.
That goal came soon after Andres Guardado was sent off for Mexico to make it 10 vs 10, but Mexico would finish much stronger. Marquez fired in from close range ten minutes after the equaliser to give Mexico the lead, before Hector Herrera put the game to bed with a header of his own.
Before the opening whistle, there was a strange situation, as the organisers played Chile's national anthem instead of Uruguay's leaving the players bemused. The Copa America 2016 organisers would later apologise for their error.
"This evening during the pre-match ceremony, due to human error, we inadvertently played the incorrect national anthem," the organisers in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "We sincerely apologise to the Uruguayan federation, the Uruguay national team, the people of Uruguay and to the fans for this mistake.
"We will work with all parties involved to ensure such an error does not occur again."
In the earlier Group C game, Jose Martinez scored the only goal of the game as Venezuela beat Jamaica, who played with ten men from the 24th minute after Rodolph Austin was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Tomas Rincon.
Watch the highlights of both the games below:
