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Mexico national football team
Copa America | Group Stage
Jun 13, 2015 at 12.30am UK
 
Bolivia national football team

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Live Commentary: Mexico 0-0 Bolivia - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the Copa America clash between Mexico and Bolivia.
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Mexico were held to a goalless draw by Bolivia in their Copa America Group A match.

Los Tri were the better team, with Jesus Manuel Corona impressing down the left wing all evening.

They were unable to find a breakthrough though and Bolivia came away with an unexpected point.

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage below.


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Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of Mexico's Copa America Group A match against Bolivia.

With a little less than half an hour to go until kick off, let's get straight into the team news...

MEXICO STARTING XI: Jesus Corona, Ayala, Cesar Dominguez, Marquez, Flores, Aldrete, Guemez, Medina, Jesus Manuel Corona, Vuoso, Herrera

So, no real surprises in the Mexico starting line-up tonight. Jesus Corona starts in goal despite a poor performance in a friendly against Brazil last week, and captain Rafael Marquez will bring some much-needed experience to the Mexico team.

Of course, Mexico's star players are missing out on the Copa America this time round. Coach Manuel Herrera has prioritised the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which starts just a few days after the end of the Copa, so household names such as Javier Hernandez, the Dos Santos brothers, Giovani and Jonathan, and Carlos Vela won't be on display in Chile this month.

BOLIVIA STARTING XI: Quinonez, Hurtado, Raldes, Zenteno, Morales, Bejarano, Chumacero, Campos, Smedberg; Martins, Pedriel

Bolivia are one of the outsiders for the competition and will rely on target man Marcelo Martins Moreno to lead the line for them tonight. Alejandro Chumacero will look to supply Moreno from midfield but it could be a tough night for Bolivia.

The odds are certainly stacked against Bolivia tonight. They haven't won a Copa America since 1997 and have beaten Mexico just once in 11 matches. They didn't exactly have the ideal preparations for the tournament either, losing to Argentina 5-0 in their only pre-tournament friendly.

Mexico's history in the Copa is a lot brighter though. They've only failed to progress beyond the group stages once in 2011. A win tonight could be imperative in achieving a path through to the knockout rounds.

Despite leaving out many of their star players, coach Herrera has said that Mexico are aiming to reach the final. That could be a tough ask though - many bookmakers predict they could struggle to get out the group ahead of Chile and Ecuador.

The teams are out, and the national anthems are in progress, so that surely means it's time for a prediction ahead of the big kickoff. I still think Mexico will win, despite sending a weakened team to Chile, and I'm going to go for a 2-1 victory tonight.

We're getting ever closer to kickoff now:



KICKOFF! Bolivia kick off and launch the ball deep into the Mexico half.

We're only two minutes in and Bolivia are already looking shaky at the back, but their defence eventually deals with an attack and the ball is cleared.

And Bolivia show their frailties once again, as Hurtado dallies on the ball and Corona steals it from him inside the penalty area. He's not able to make any space though and Bolivia are let off. That could be a worry for Bolivia if it carries on tonight.

After that early excitement, both teams are currently battling in midfield. Mexico still look more likely to make things happen though.

SHOT! Medina volleys wide of the right post from 18 yards after Vuoso tricks the Bolivian defence with four keepy-ups inside the area.

SAVE! Corona pulls off a good save, low to his right, to deny Pedriel's volley. That time the Mexican defence looked dodgy at best.

Moreno then fires high and wide from long range. The target man hasn't scored in two years for Bolivia and needs to get on the scoresheet this tournament if Bolivia are to impress.

Guemez is next to have a go from long range, but his volley flies high into the stand behind the goal.

It's looking right now that Mexico are going to have the most success attacking down the left wing. Corona is currently tearing Hurtado apart with his pace and trickery.

SAVE! Flores is next to attack for Mexico, cutting in from the right wing. His first effort was blocked by Morales and his second shot ends up in the arms of Quinonez.

Bolivia are on the attack just now, inching forward with a number of throw-ins, looking to find Moreno...

They do eventually find him, but a bad first touch from him gives the ball away and Mexico clear.

YELLOW CARD! Corona, by far Mexico's most impressive outlet so far, is felled by Bejarano and the Bolivian defender is shown the first yellow card of the evening.

Vuoso wins a free kick on the left by-line, after being fouled by Hurtado. This is in a dangerous position and Aldrete lines up to take it.

What a waste! Aldrete delivers a good ball in but Vuoso's foot is too high and a foul is given.

CHANCE! Campos creates a chance out of nothing. He turns his defender and unleashes a fierce shot from 25 yards, but Jesus Corona's diving save diverts the ball behind.

CHANCE! From the corner, Morales rises highest at the far post but his header hits the side netting. Jesus Corona was in no man's land there.

SHOT! A Mexico corner eventually falls to Guemez, but he scuffs his shot and it goes harmlessly wide.

HALF TIME: Mexico 0-0 Bolivia

So, no stoppage time at all and the first half finishes goalless. Mexico have been the better team overall, but Bolivia have had the better chances, most notably through Pedriel and Campos. It's firmly in the balance here.

A look at the stats seems to suggest the very same thing too, with Mexico enjoying 57% of the possession, but Bolivia having more shots on goal.

Corona really does seem Mexico's bright spark out there tonight. He really is exploiting Hurtado down the left wing.

As for Bolivia, I'd say Campos could be their most likely scorer, if only for the touch of brilliance he showed from long range in the first half.

I've seen a number of tweets wondering about Mexico's decision to bring a second string to the Copa America. To be fair, they do have a point.



KICKOFF! Mexico restart the match, driving up the right wing, but Medina's cross goes straight into Quinonez's arms.

CHANCE! Corona skews his shot after Vuoso lays it off to him. It was a great counterattack from Mexico but Corona just couldn't hit the target.

Herrera tries to play in Medina with a delicate chip over the Bolivian defence, but Quinonez is alert and snuffs out the danger.

Mexico have continued to be the better team at the start of the second half, but have so far been unable to breach the Bolivian defence.

Medina is next to have a go, but he can't hit the target from 20 yards. Corona again created the chance for him.

MEXICO SUBSTITUTION Jimenez replaces Herrera as Mexico look to find a way to hit the back of the net.

Moreno takes the shot on from long range. His low shot isn't far off either, fizzing past the left post. I think Jesus Corona had it covered, but it could have caused problems if it was a few feet to the right.

MEXICO SUBSTITUTION Captain Marquez is replaced by Aquino. The former Barca man comes off clutching his hamstring, which could be a worry for Mexico.

It was just around this point when Chile got the opener against Ecuador last night. Will we see something similar here?

CHANCE! Mexico's best chance of the night comes as Corona's cross finds the head of Vuoso, unmarked in the area. He couldn't put his header on target though and it bounces agonisingly wide of the post.

SHOT! Campos tries another one from long range, but his curling effort has no power behind it and it's easily held by Jesus Corona.

BOLIVIA SUBSTITUTION Escobar replaces Campos. The 36-year-old striker gets his first taste of tournament football in his career.

SHOT! Medina shoots from 10 yards but misses the target after a good attacking move down the right wing for Mexico.

Aquino cuts inside from the right wing and is tripped by Morales. It's another free kick from a dangerous area which Aldrete will take...

The free kick is cleared to the edge of the area, and Corona's shot is deflected off the referee for a goal kick.

With 15 minutes left, it looks like this match is heading for a goalless draw. That will suit Bolivia best out of the two teams.

PENALTY APPEAL! Aquino drives into the box and falls from the challenge of Morales. Aquino wants a penalty but replays prove that it was a great challenge from the Bolivian defender.

MEXICO SUBSTITUTION Mexico make their final change as Medina is replaced by Montes.

Aquino does brilliantly to win a free kick on the right sideline, pressing the backline to win the ball, before being taken out.

CHANCE! Montes delivers a delicious free kick into the area which falls to Guemez but his powerful effort is deflected behind and the corner comes to nothing.

Morales is currently down injured after a collision in the penalty area, and there's a break in play. Mexico have always looked the most likely team to score, but they now have only three more minutes to snatch the victory.

Morales is stretchered off but comes sprinting back on moments later. The cynic would say Bolivia were time wasting there.

YELLOW CARD! Escobar goes into the book after a silly foul on Aquino.

YELLOW CARD! Flores jumps unfairly with Bejarano and is shown the yellow card.

There will be four added minutes.

Hurtado takes no chances and clears a cross behind for a Mexico corner, but Corona's ball in is not up to scratch and Bolivia clear.

Aquino wins yet another free kick on the right and Montes's low free kick fails to even beat the first man.

FULL TIME: Mexico 0-0 Bolivia

Frustration for Mexico as the match finishes goalless. They really should have taken the three points tonight but, despite their dominance in possession, were unable to create enough clear-cut chances.

Bolivia will be the happier of the two teams, but a point is unlikely to be enough for them to progress from the group. Their winless run in the Copa America continues. They're yet to get their first Copa America victory of the millennium.

Thanks for joining me for tonight's match. Join Sports Mole again for live commentaries from every Copa America match.

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Eduardo Vargas celebrates scoring Chile's first goal against Spain on June 18, 2014.
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina33009
Q Canada Canada31114
3 Chile Chile30212
4 Peru flag Peru30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Venezuela Venezuela33009
Q Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Jamaica Jamaica30030

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Uruguay flag Uruguay33009
Q Panama flag Panama32016
3 United States USA31023
4 Bolivia flag Bolivia30030

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Colombia Colombia32107
Q Brazil Brazil31205
3 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31114
4 Paraguay flag Paraguay30030


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