Mexico Coach Watches Team Advance From Stands

• AP , Monday, July 20, 2009 3 PM

With suspended coach Javier Aguirre sitting in the stands, Mexico advanced to the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals by defeating Haiti 4-0 Sunday night. Controversial callup Miguel Sabah scored two goals. And Giovani Dos Santos had a goal and two assists for Mexico (3-0-1), which has won the Gold Cup four times since its inception in 1991.

"The players do need their coach on the bench, in the locker room," Aguirre said. "It's not ideal and I hope it doesn't happen again." Aguirre will also miss Mexico's semifinal Thursday against Costa Rica when he serves the last game of his three-game suspension for his altercation with a player during Mexico's game  against Panama on July 9th. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe 5-1 to advance to the semifinal in the first game of the double-header played at the new Cowboys stadium.

The two games marked the first sporting events played in the $1.15 billion facility that opened in June. A crowd of over 82,000 poured into the stands to support Mexico. Thousands of spectators also stood on the concourses behind the first three levels of seats. "These players are used to playing with 500 to 2,000 people," Haiti coach Jairo Rios said of the full stadium. "And having 80,000 Mexico fans, there were players whose legs were shaking. That was the fear, the fear of the atmosphere of the stadium."

 

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