Mexico vs. Venezuela: Score, Reaction from 2016 Copa America

In the 80th minute, Jesus Corona's goal clinched Group C for Mexico with a 1-1 draw over Venezuela on Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston.

ESPN FC gave kudos to Corona for his part in the contest:  

El Tri had 25 shots in the match, with more than half of them coming in the second half while trailing 1-0. Jose Velazquez scored the game's first goal in the 10th minute and looked primed to win the group for Venezuela. But Mexico's aggressive attack ultimately paid off, via Univision Deportes:

Mexico and Venezuela have already qualified for the Copa America quarterfinals. This was all about which team would win the group and take on the winner of the Chile vs. Panama tilt on Tuesday.

El Tri have never tasted defeat at the hands of Venezuela before. This was the third Copa America meeting between the two countries. That alone made Mexico the overwhelming favorite coming into this match, per Paul Carr of ESPN.com:

Early on, Venezuela got the upper hand. Velazquez scored first after an outstanding bicycle kick off a free kick that gave La Vinotinto the early one-score lead, via Univision Deportes:

Venezuela also reacted to the team scoring that much-needed goal:

Despite Venezuela having the lead, Mexico held a distinct advantage in possession. El Tri held the ball for 63 percent of the first half and had nine shots with three of them on target. Meanwhile, Venezuela had two shots on goal, including that one goal.

One day after a controversial no-call on a handball led to a win for Peru, Venezuela got away with a handball in the 36th minute, via Univision:

Mexico ramped up its attack in the second half to no avail 70 minutes into the game. El Tri were close on two occasions, most notably with Corona missing the net just wide on this attempt, via Univision:

Once given a second chance, Corona didn't disappoint. His goal 10 minutes before stoppage time tied the game thanks to fancy dribbling and a powerful right-footed shot.

Venezuela played well throughout the night. While advancing is the goal, it came up short of winning the group. El Tri showed their resilience and were the aggressive attacker in the second half, and it paid off. Both teams advance, but Mexico came out as the victor Monday.