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Canada misses men's Olympic soccer tournament after loss to Mexico

Refugio Ruiz / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Canada will not compete in the men's soccer tournament at this summer's Olympics after losing to Mexico in qualifying action Sunday.

The two nations met in the semifinals of CONCACAF's qualifying event, with the Mexicans earning a hard-fought 2-0 victory that secured the last available ticket to Tokyo. Uriel Antuna and Johan Vasquez found the net in the second half of the contest, with Antuna taking advantage of a blunder by goalkeeper James Pantemis to score the eventual match-winning goal.

Mexico, the Olympic gold medalist in men's soccer in 2012, will now have a chance to capture a second Under-23 title. The Canadian men, meanwhile, must wait to make their first appearance on the Olympic stage since 1984.

Canada, a heavy underdog going into the match in Guadalajara, defended well in the opening half but was undone in a seven-minute spell in the second stanza. After Antuna put the host nation ahead in the 57th minute, Vasquez got onto the end of a free-kick and bundled the ball over the line to double the advantage.

Canada, playing without injured captain Derek Cornelius, could muster little to get back into the contest after that double blow; Mexico dictated the play throughout the encounter en route to victory.

Jaime Lozano's team will be joined in Tokyo by Honduras, which defeated the United States earlier Sunday to secure the region's other berth in this summer's tournament.

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