The Mexican team was dominated for long periods and unable to shake off the pressure it was subjected to.
The Mexican National Team tied without goals against their counterpart from Canadaafter 90 minutes in which they were surprised by the initiative of a solid rival in the center of the field, thanks to the superiority in the number of players, physical display and high block pressure to make transitions difficult.
Mexican National Team Imago7
Despite Canada’s dominance with the ball and speed, the Mexican goalkeeper rarely intervened in dangerous opportunities in front of goal, with special emphasis on a save off the line in the 43rd minute, after a header by Cyle Larin in the 43rd minute with a clear direction towards goal.
The right back was unable to handle the high pressure that Canada proposed throughout the match; he also showed periods of desperation in the face of the rival’s speed and offensive progression through short play, with a warning only at 19′.
The center made his debut as captain of the Mexican team with a solid performance to prevent Canada from increasing its superiority on the field towards the scoreboard, with special emphasis on the work he did on the ground to cut off plays in the finishing zone.
The defender formed a good partnership in the central lane with Vásquez and maintained defensive order against an opponent who surprised with both initiative and superiority on the field.
The left back was harassed by Ali Ahmed on that flank due to the Canadian possession of the ball, as the winger was in charge of exposing deficiencies in defense thanks to his speed and overflow, as well as pressure to recover the ball in a high block and prevent the Mexican team from getting out.
With the midfield as the main stage of the battle between both teams, the midfielder recalled his efforts towards the defensive line as a fifth centre-back and as the one in charge of giving the team an outlet in transitions, however, he also did not get used to the pressure of the rival and lacked a partner to generate width in the game.
The midfielder formed a double shield with Luis Romo, necessary to contain the fluidity of Canada’s short game, with individual mechanics between defenders and midfielders to cut off passing lines and transition, but the rival’s pressure was a factor in avoiding it, as well as the individual duel with forward Cyle Larin.
As a right winger, the striker rarely touched the ball and contributed little to the offensive game, as Canada blocked the progression of plays and prevented him from playing freely in front of the midfield. The main contribution of ‘Piojo’ came in the 71st minute, with a left-footed shot from inside the area that went over the crossbar.
The ‘Maguito’ positioned himself on the field as a link between the midfielders and forwards, but Canada’s offensive attitude, as well as the Mexican team’s limited ability to shake off the marking, was the main impediment for him to progress in the final area of the field.
The left winger found himself up against rivals in terms of speed, such as Richie Laryes and Alphonso Davies, who he was unable to overcome and even had to chase down the defence to prevent further dominance for periods of time.
Another clean sheet for Javier Aguirre’s starting attacking midfield after two games. This time, he missed a one-on-one on the left flank of the area in the 53rd minute, as the goalkeeper closed in on a shot at ground level assisted by an individual play by Huerta.
Substitutes
The right back entered the field with a level of intensity that matched the game and reflected this with a couple of strong plays in which he prevented the opponent from progressing, although he was also unable to attack comfortably to give the team space.
The midfielder gave a poor performance on the pitch, without being a solution to unlock the game in the second third.
The attacking axis also came up empty-handed and continues to score goals, however, it provided sparks outside its zone that helped the team’s offense.
He entered the game towards the end of the game and had little offensive generation.
