Mexico begin defense with rout of Cuba

WESTERN BUREAU:

Guillermo Martinez was named Man-of-the-Match, after hitting a hat-trick in Mexico's 8-0 rout of Cuba in the opening Group B match of the 2015 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship at the Montego Bay Sports Complex yesterday.

It was an ideal start for the title holders and served as an ominous warning to the other teams in the group.

"This is as a result of a year of preparation, but it's only the first game; we did get better as the game went on and it showed in the result," Trevino said.

Martinez opened the scoring, literally from the kick-off, when he booted past Elier Pozo in the Cuban goal with a mere 38 seconds on the official clock.

Martinez would go on to score his team's second in the sixth minute, after Cuba had equalised through midfielder Eddy Saname in the third minute of play.

Martinez completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute, netting Mexico's seventh goal. Before that, Alejandro Diaz scored to make the score line 3-1 in the 18th minute.

The champions were never troubled, as they moved the ball sweetly across the well-manicured turf at the complex and, after a period in which they made no less than nine passes, it was time for another goal.

BEAUTIFUL GOAL

Hirving Lozano obliged with a beautifully crafted goal that gave Pozo absolutely no chance in the 37th minute. Three minutes later, he would grab his brace and Mexico's fifth goal of the evening, when his shot flew past Pozo in the 40th minute.

Jose Ramirez added two quick goals before and after the break, scoring Mexico's sixth goal in the 42nd minute and the seventh in minute 47, as Cuba looked completely out of sort.

The second-half was more like a training exercise, as Cuba hardly ventured into the Mexico half, posing no further trouble Gonzalez.

Second-half substitute Luis Marquez scored what was the best of the lot, with a sublime effort from 20 yards out to complete the rout.