Mexico held their own against a side that has real aspirations of lifting the World Cup trophy. I do not understand some of the criticisms of the game plan. Mexico stuck to their plan and kept themselves in the game. Frustrating Portugal and having some chances to score themselves. They do not have the talent to go at Portugal for 90 minutes. The current player pool just does not have it in them to do that. The second half showed that gulf in talent but Mexico’s defense did not break. Even with only 27% possession in the second half, El Tri had the best chance.
As I rewatched the game, I wanted to pay close attention to a couple players.
Players I focused on:
- Tala Rangel: In addition to making saves, he will play a big role in the build up for Mexico. Lucky for us, Chivas already has him playing a similar style. He looks comfortable playing behind Vasquez/Montes. At this point, Vasco should give him all the minutes until the World Cup.
- Obed Vargas: Even with the bad back pass that led to a great Portugal chance, I like his partnership with Erik Lira. He’s 20yrs old and clearly not at his peak but we know what the other midfield options are: Charly Rodriguez, Chiquito Sanchez, and Orbelin Pineda. I would rather give Lira and Obed a chance to develop some chemistry than try the other options. In a perfect world, Marcel Ruiz is in this spot but he wont be available.
- Brian Gutierrez: I was very curious to see how we would perform in an “A” game and not one of the non-FIFA Date games. He passed the test and sealed his spot on the World Cup roster. One of my concerns with him in MLS was his defensive work rate but he has stepped it up on that side of the ball since his move to Mexico. Also, he has the ability to score a banger outside the box. A skillset that is rare in this player pool.
- Julian Quinones: One of the few Mexican attackers in great club form but has not really gotten a ton of minutes for Vasco. His best position is striker but Mexico only plays with 1 and Raul Jimenez is not giving it up. Either way, Julian has something to offer and showed it against Portugal. Even if he becomes the first attacker off the bench, that’s a role he can excel in.
Other Plays that stayed with me
Vasco made enough subs that everyone should be available against Belgium on Tuesday. I expect a similar game plan but with a couple starting 11 tweaks. I really hope he treats it like the Portugal game and does not use a heavily rotated lineup full of fringe players. The time for that is over.