Montes Scores Before Injury As Mexico Tops Ecuador
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Luis Montes scored two minutes before a leg injury sent him to the hospital, helping Mexico beat Ecuador 3-1 Saturday in the first of three tuneups in the U.S. leading to the World Cup.
Montes drove a left-footed shot into the lower left corner of the net from just outside the top of the goal box after a pass from Oribe Peralta in the 33rd minute.
Shortly after the goal, Montes and Ecuador's Segundo Castillo became entangled and went down chasing a loose ball. Castillo limped off the field and didn't return. Montes never got up.
Montes, a key member of El Tri's midfield, covered his face as he was carried off on a stretcher to cheers from the pro-Mexican crowd of 84,876 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The club said he was being examined for a possible fracture of his lower right leg. Castillo was hospitalized for further evaluation of a right knee injury. Mexican captain Rafael Marqez also went to the hospital for an injury to his right foot in a separate first-half play.
Mexico, coming off a 3-0 win over Israel, plays Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday night in Chicago and Portugal on Friday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Its World Cup opener in Brazil is June 13 against Cameroon.
Ecuador has one more exhibition -- against England on Wednesday in Miami -- before opening the World Cup June 15 against Switzerland.
Marco Fabian, who replaced Castillo, scored a long shot that again beat Ecuador keeper Maximo Banguera diving to his right for a 2-0 lead in the 69th minute. Giovani dos Santos made it 3-0 when his shot bounced off the post and went off Banguera's head into the net in the 76th minute.
Ecuador scored in the 80th minute when Enner Valencia's free kick just outside the goal box caromed into the net off Mexico's Hector Moreno.
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