[UNDER-17 WORLD CUP] Mexico won the 2005 Under-17 World Cup with such current national team stars as Giovanni dos Santos, Efrain Juarez and Hector Moreno. Now, it is on the brink of another under-17 championship, qualifying for the final of the 2011 edition at home with an epic 3-2 win over Germany in the semifinals that featured a heroic performance by Pachuca forward Julio Gomez. Mexico will face Uruguay, a 3-0 winner over Brazil, in Sunday's final at the Azteca Stadium.

Mexico-Germany started with each team scoring in the first 10 minutes, then Germany went ahead in the 60th minute on a goal by Emre Can.

But Gomez, who had scored the first Mexico goal in the 3rd minute, then suffered a nasty blow to the head in a collision with a German player when Jorge Espericueta swung a corner kick into the goal for the equalizer in the 76th minute.

With penalty kicks looming -- there is no overtime at the Under-17 World Cup -- Gomez returned to the field with a bandaged head and won the game in amazing fashion when a corner kick was flicked on to home at the far post and he beat German keeper Odisseas Vlachodimos with an overhead kick.

In Guadalajara, Uruguay upset Brazil on goals by Elbio Alvarez, Juan San Martin and Guillermo Mendez.