Mexico receives Honduras at the Azteca, forced to win clearly

The Mexican team will host Honduras this Tuesday at the Azteca Stadium forced to win by two goals or more to qualify for the semifinals of the Spanish League Concacaf Nations and obtain a pass to the 2024 Copa América.

In one of their worst performances in recent years, the Mexicans lost 2-0 against Honduras last Friday in the first leg of the quarterfinals and now they will try to impose conditions at home.

With a sometimes disorganized defense, midfielders who lost balls and committed numerous fouls and forwards without aim, Mexico was surpassed by the Central Americans, who imposed conditions on their field in Tegucigalpa and they reflected it on the scoreboard with goals from Anthony Lozano y Bryan Róchez.

In the last hours the Mexican team isolated itself in its training field on the outskirts of the capital, where the coach Jaime Lozano studies possible changes in the lineup to show a different face than Friday.

Honduras, directed by the Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, He arrives with two goals of cushion and his priority will be to maintain order to stop the attack of the locals, who must have the Colombian Julián Quiñones, naturalized, for the first time as a starter.

Honduras, to avoid goals against

For Hondurans it will be important to stop the momentum with which Mexico and avoid goals as long as possible to provoke despair in Jaime Lozano’s team.

“Neutralizing Mexico will be important; there are 90 decisive minutes left; hopefully the refereeing will control the match,” he said. Rueda, who complained of mistreatment at customs and hostility on the part of Mexicans.

The Hondurans will give priority to order in defense, but they will not give up the attack because, if they score, They will force Mexico to score four goals. In the event of a tie in the series, the team with the most away goals will qualify and Mexico did not score any.

This Monday, at the Honduras camp, two players who are recovering from discomfort trained alongside the team, the defender Luis Vega, of the Motagua, and the forward Luis Palma, from Celtic from Scotland. They were important pieces in Friday’s victory and Rueda is counting on them to seek a place in the semifinals and a ticket to the Copa América.

Probable lineups

• Mexico: Luis Malagón; César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez; Edson Álvarez, Luis Romo, Luis Chávez; Julián Quiñones, Hirving Lozano, Henry Martin.

Coach: Jaime Lozano.

• Honduras: Edrick Menjivar; Joseph Rosales, Denil Maldonado, Luis Vega, Andy Najar; Deybi Flores, Jorge Alvarez, Edwin Rodriguez, Rigoberto Rivas; Luis Palma, Anthony Lozano.

Coach: Reinaldo Rueda.