Mexico draws with Panama in wild Gold Cup match
Four-time champions sit second in Group B standings with four points
The result clinched quarterfinal berths for Canada, the United States and Guadeloupe, which beat Nicaragua 2-0 earlier in the evening.
The match finished with three players ejected as well as a coach -- Mexican manager Javier Aguirre.
What was already a tense match turned ugly when Panama's Ricardo Phillips pushed Aguirre near the Mexican bench. Phillips reacted after Aguirre appeared to kick him as Phillips dribbled the ball down the sideline. Aguirre extended his leg to stop the ball and made contact with Phillips.
Phillips pushed the coach and Mexico's bench immediately reacted.
Soon drink cups and other items rained onto the field from the stands, mostly toward Panama players and its bench.
Panama players on the bench walked to the middle of the field in protest while Mexican players tried to calm the partisan crowd.
Peace was restored but not after both teams lost momentum.
The match was testy early but reached a peak when Mexico midfielder Luis Noriega and Panama's Armando Gun were shown straight red cards for a mini-altercation during first-half injury time.
Gun took umbrage at a foul by Giovani dos Santos near Panama's bench. He reacted and Noriega responded to Gun's aggression, prompting a brief skirmish between both teams.
That's when referee Joel Aguilar took out his red card and showed it to Noriega and Gun.
Players from both sides also exchanged pushes earlier in the match that totaled 25 fouls (Mexico 16, Panama nine) in the first 45 minutes.
Things perhaps heated after Panama's Blas Perez led an elbow to the back of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 14th minute while Ochoa went up for a long centered pass that sailed over the crossbar.
Ochoa laid inside his goal for a couple of minutes, reaching for his lower back. He remained in the match.
The fighting overshadowed the match that featured goals by Mexico's Miguel Sabah and Panama's Perez.
Sabah scored 10 minutes into the match. Perez scored 19 minutes later.
Sabah sent Giovanni dos Santos' rolling cross to the opposite post to beat Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, sending his shot into the lower right corner of the net.
Dos Santos broke away with only the goalkeeper to beat when Israel Martinez filtered a pass through Panama defenders near the left sideline.
Dos Santos then sprinted about 40 yards before sending the ball for Sabah, who finished for his first goal in four caps with El Tri.
It was also the 500th goal in Gold Cup history.
Sabah was the Mexican Clausura scoring champion in his first season with Monarcas Morelia.
It was Panama's leaders and national icons that helped "La Marea Roja," the Red Wave. It was those same leaders that are very familiar with Mexican soccer.
That includes Perez.
The Panama forward and Felipe Baloy play in the Mexican Premier division.
Perez tied the game in the 29th minute after he forced his way through two Mexican defenders. He tapped in a bouncing ball near the mouth of the goal past Ochoa.
Perez, who plays for Pachuca, reached a Baloy pass via header while Mexico defenders Jose Castro and Jonny Magallon watched the play develop.
Mexican defenders displayed their displeasure briefly pointing fingers, pointing at the ground near the scene of the defensive mishap while screaming at each other.
Baloy, who has made a career in Mexico playing for Monterrey, out-jumped his man near the penalty mark to send the ball to Blas.
