By Raquel Ortiz

CHICAGO - Even without having won the Gold Cup yet, Mexico feels it has reason to be pleased with itself.

Manager Javier Aguirre, who was serving the last of his three-game suspension for an incident in the game against Panama, was happy with Thursday's penalty kick victory over Costa Rica in the semifinals - especially because Mexico wasn't playing its best.

"Before a so even duel, what is important is the result," he said. "It was a game of even consistency. The truth is that none of them could impose its style to the other."

Aguirre, like his Costa Rican counterpart Rodrigo Kenton, saw the match as an "advanced final."

"We neutralized our actions, and on the penalties, to our good fortune, things worked well," Aguirre said. "It was the end we wanted and I suppose the public wanted. I hope that we are at the height of the circumstances."

Aguirre complimented his entire team who he said, without exception, have given their fullest effort to reach the final.

"From the field players, the goalkeeper and those who were on the bench, all were a part of this effort, and as a group we will face the (championship) match on Sunday," he said. "We have now demonstrated that we can overcome adversity."

Goalkeeper Memo Ochoa made the critical save on Froylan Ledezma's penalty attempt in the shootout, but wasn't willing assume the role of a hero.

"It was worthy, both the save and those who converted, as well as those who left everything on the field," Ochoa said. "Today things worked as expected and that leaves us quite satisfied."

According to Ochoa, since the Gold Cup started, Mexico visualized a final against the United States, which beat Honduras in the other semifinal.

"Since we arrived to this Gold Cup we had in mind to be in the final and to play it against the U.S.," he said. "That was the match we wanted."

While Mexico heads into a game against the Americans, Costa Rica returns home to refocus on World Cup qualifying.

"I am happy for the players' performance because they created plays and always tried to play on the offensive," Kenton said. "I am glad and grateful with what football is today because this proves that football gives you everything. While it gave us joy, we are sad today because victory was refused to us."

Both Kenton and Aguirre agreed that penalties are are random, and Thursday was not Costa Rica's lucky day.

"This is football and penalties are like hitting the lottery," Kenton said. "We didn't want to reach that instance because at all times we sought to play, but then, Mexico won and in good time for them."