HAMILTON - Mexico scored twice in the first half and held on to defeat Canada 2-1 on Friday night, winning the women's Pan American bronze medal .

Midfielder Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick awarded for a hand ball in the 88th minute to score Canada's first goal since opening the tournament last week against Ecuador.

Brazil takes on Colombia Saturday night in the final.

Down 2-0 after the first half, Canada came out pressing. But they couldn't convert possession into quality shots.

Canada has not been able to score despite showing great ball possession skill this week.

It was more of the same against Mexico. Canada controlled the ball for 59 per cent of the game. After being outshot 7-3 in the first half, the Canadians ended up outshooting the Mexicans 8-7.

International star defender Kadeisha Buchanan sat for the second half, replaced by Shelina Zadorsky, who had scored twice for Canada in that first round-robin game.

Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe made three outstanding saves in the half before Mexico got on the board in the 29th minute. The goal came right after Janine Beckie attempted a cross that was carried by the breeze and caused all kinds of trouble for Mexican goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar.

On the ensuing corner kick, Mexico cleared the ball to Monica Ocampo, who headed it to herself behind the Canadian defence and went in for the breakaway, chipping it over the charging Labbe with Canadian defender Kinley McNicoll in desperate pursuit.

Mexico made it 2-0 in the 37th minute with nifty passing in the box as Veronica Perez found a streaking Stephany Mayor deep in the box. Fleming got her foot on it with little room to spare, but it bounced off Mayor and into the goal.

The story for this young Canadian team, which boasts only four of its players from the recent World Cup team, has been its inability to score.

In the first half, Canada controlled the ball in the first half against Mexico 58 per cent to 42 per cent, and were pressing at times, but couldn't convert.

Canada opened its tournament with a 5-2 win over Ecuador in pool play, but followed with a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica and a 2-0 loss to Brazil. It qualified for the semi-finals by finishing second in its pool on goal differential. And despite a spirited effort, especially in the second half, Canada went down to Colombia 1-0 in the semis.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2015