SOCHI, June 30: Leon Goretzka scored two quick-fire early goals on Thursday as Germany beat Mexico 4-1 to reach the Confederations Cup final.

Exploiting Mexico’s defensive frailties, Joachim Loew’s inexperienced squad was 2-0 up within 10 minutes.

Loew is using the squad to assess his pool of talent, and this one could end the tournament with more silverware for the world champions if it beats Chile on Sunday in St. Petersburg.

All three German scorers in the southern Russian resort of Sochi were players making their tournament debuts. After Goretzka netted in the 6th and 8th minutes, Timo Werner and Amin Younes scored in the second half.

Despite the convincing score line, Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was kept busy. There were 25 shots on goal but he only conceded in the 89th minute when he was beaten by Marco Fabian’s long-range swerving shot.

Mexico will now head to Moscow to play Portugal in the third-place match on Sunday after paying the price for affording Germany too much space to cut through its ragged defense.

“We didn’t have a good start of the game, and they took advantage,” Fabian said. “We have to acknowledge that we dared to play as equals.

“Sometimes adrenaline plays a trick on us. Sometimes we make mistakes that they take advantage of. We have to learn to be effective and take advantage of their mistakes.”

It was a misplaced header by captain Hector Moreno that freed Goretzka to launch the attack that he completed to put Germany in front. Goretzka seized possession around the halfway line, passed to Benjamin Henrichs on the right flank and accelerated to receive the ball back and sweep in a low shot from 20 yards (meters).

Mexico was jolted and had not regrouped when its defense was shredded again inside two minutes. Werner threaded the ball through for Goretzka to slot under the legs of goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa at the near post and claim his third goal of the competition.

Rather than being a platform to build on, Germany eased up and squandered the opportunity for a third goal when Werner struck straight at Ochoa.

And soon Ter Stegen was being repeatedly called into action, using his outstretched right leg to clear a shot from Giovani Dos Santos and diving to block the follow-up from Jonathan Dos Santos.

Mexico had an even better chance to pull one back. The ball broke for Javier Hernandez and the striker only had Ter Stegen to beat but the shot was lifted too high.

Raul Jimenez was thwarted by Ter at the start of the second half before Germany extended its lead in the 59th minute. A flowing move saw captain Julian Draxler and Jonas Hector combine to set up the unmarked Werner to pass into an empty net.

Germany looked set for its first clean sheet of the tournament until a quickly-taken free kick left the defense unprepared to close down Fabian, who unleashed the long-range strike that Ter Stegen could not stop.

But Germany still had the final say, with Younes released by Emre Can and striking across the face of goal into the net.-AP

KAZAN, June 29: Claudio Bravo made three penalty saves as Chile crushed Portugal 3-0 in a penalty shootout to reach the Confederations Cup final on Wednesday.

Bravo, who missed the first two cup games in Russia because of injury, stopped penalties by Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani, sending Chile to its third straight international final after winning consecutive Copa America titles.

Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Alexis Sanchez all scored for Chile in the shootout.

The teams were drawing 0-0 after normal and extra time.

The result was justice for Chile, which had a strong penalty appeal turned down in extra time and then saw the ball hit the woodwork twice in the same move a few minutes later.

Chile and Portugal both came close in the first 10 minutes but there were few chances after that in a lackluster game between two of the main title favorites. Cristiano Ronaldo was off-form for Portugal and Chile gradually took control in front of 40,855 fans at Kazan Arena, most of them behind Chile.

Chile will play Germany or Mexico in Sunday’s final in St. Petersburg. It will be seeking its first title outside of South America after winning the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, both times in penalty kick shoot-outs.

“I was injured and I didn’t play at my normal pace, but I normally get things quietly,” Bravo said. “This is very important to us because it’s like completing a very successful cycle. We are very happy to be able to play in the final.”

Portugal was looking for its second consecutive title after winning the European Championship last year.

In the shoot-out, Bravo dived to his right to stop weak penalty kicks by both Quaresma and Joao Moutinho, then switched sides to save Nani’s timorous shot. Nani tip-toed desperately slowly to the ball looking for all the world as though he did not want to take the kick. And he patted it gently to Bravo.

“Claudio was amazing, the players who scored their penalties were amazing and I think we deserve to be in the final,” Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said. “We have made a huge effort and I think you could see it during the game.”

Chile had its chances to win it in extra time when Vidal’s powerful right-footed shot struck the far post. From the rebound, substitute Martin Rodriguez hit the crossbar with Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio already beaten.

Sanchez had already had a chance to break the deadlock six minutes into extra time, but his header from near the penalty spot went just wide after a well-placed cross by Mauricio Isla.

Chile wanted a late penalty when Francisco Silva was stepped on by a defender inside the area with only a few minutes left, but the referee let the play continue and it was not reviewed by video.

Ronaldo had some chances in regulation time but couldn’t capitalize on them, including an 85th-minute header that went wide.

“I think it was an excellent game, a good propaganda for football, two excellent teams,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “They both showed they wanted to win.”