Venezuela edges Mexico to advance to Copa America quarterfinals

Salomon Rondon scored on a penalty kick in the 57th minute, and Venezuela advanced to the Copa America quarterfinals with 1-0 victory over Mexico on Wednesday night in Inglewood, Calif.

Venezuela, which opened with a 2-1 win over Ecuador, is assured finishing among the top two in Group B. Mexico began with a 1-0 victory over Jamaica and has three points along with Ecuador, which defeated the winless Reggae Boyz 3-1 earlier Wednesday.

Mexico plays Ecuador at Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, and needs a victory to advance. Venezuela faces already eliminated Jamaica at Austin, Texas.

Venezuela ended a 13-game winless streak against El Tri.

Brazilian referee Raphael Claus awarded the penalty kick when Julian Quinoned shoved Jon Aramburu in the penalty area.

Rondon sent his kick to the right of goalkeeper Julio Gonzalez, who jumped left, and Rondon got his 42nd goal in 107 international appearances. His scoring total is almost double that of Juan Arango, second among Venezuelans with 23.

Mexico was awarded a penalty kick for a handball by Miguel Navarro on Jorge Sanchez's shot but Rafael Romo leapt to his right to push Orbelin Pineda's penalty kick wide in the 87th minute.

While the Vinotinto reached the quarterfinals for the third time in four tournaments, Mexico is on the verge of first-round elimination for the third time in its last four Copa America trips.

Under Argentinian coach Fernando Batista, the Venezuelans have just two losses in their last 15 matches, to Italy and Colombia.

Mexico's midfield was without Edson Alvarez, who injured a hamstring against Jamaica and will miss the rest of the tournament.

Ecuador 3, Jamaica 1

Seventeen-year-old Kendry Paez scored in first-half stoppage time, Alan Minda added another goal late in the second half and Ecuador beat winless Jamaica 3-1 on Wednesday night in the Copa America.

Ecuador, which rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Venezuela, won its first Copa America game since a 4-0 victory over Haiti in 2016, stopping an eight-game winless streak.

Jamaica became the first team eliminated from the 16-nation tournament when Venezuela beat Mexico 1-0 later Wednesday.

Kasey Palmer's 13th-minute own goal put Ecuador ahead and Paez made it 2-0 with a penalty kick in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Michail Antonio scored Jamaica's first Copa America goal in the 54th, and Minda got the final goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.

Venezuala has six points and clinched a quarterfinal berth, while Mexico and Ecuador have three points each. Ecuador closes the Group B against Mexico at Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, when Jamaica faces Venezuela.

Jamaica is 0-8 over three Copas, getting outscored 12-1.

Ecuador went ahead when Piero Hincapie centered the ball from near the corner flag and it deflected off a sliding defender Palmer and over backpedaling goalkeeper Jahmali Waite.

Paez, the youngest player in the tournament at 17 years, 1 1/2 months, scored his second international goal after Chilean referee Cristian Garay called a hand ball on Reggae Boyz defender Greg Leigh following a video review.

Antonio scored after Palmer's corner kick bounced to Ethan Pinnock. His shot hit the back of defender William Pacho, ricocheted off Hincapie and bounced toward Antonio. He swiveled, turned his torso and volleyed the ball in off goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez's right post for Antonio's fourth goal in 16 appearances.

Garay decided not to award a penalty kick after another video review in the 75th. Michael Hector toepoked the ball and it appeared to hit an arm and the head of Ecuador's Alan Franco.

Minda broke in alone on White in a counterattack following a Jamaica corner kick and slotted a shot past Waite for is first goal in six appearances, fed by a Carlos Gruezo pass.