In the morning sunshine on Monday, a showdown of life and death took place in Group B of the CONCACAF Champions League. The match between Mexico and Ecuador ended in a 0-0 draw, dashing Mexico's hopes of qualifying. Ecuador advances to the last eight as second in the group with four points and will face last year's champions Argentina in the next round.
Prior to the start of the match, both teams were on 3 points. Although Mexico had a whopping 18 shots on goal, they only hit the target 3 times, a staggeringly low level of efficiency. As extra time entered the final five minutes, Mexican striker Gulimatiannis fell to the ground in the penalty area and the referee initially awarded a penalty kick. But after VAR intervened, the call was canceled and Mexico's chance for a shutout disappeared.
Meanwhile, in another key match, Venezuela, which had been assured of qualification, swept Jamaica 3-0, locking up top spot in the group with a clean sweep and will meet Canada in the last eight.
