Mexico Drops Second Straight Against Portugal

Foxborough, MA - In their final World Cup tune-up Mexico dropped it’s second consecutive game, a 1-0 match against Ronaldo-less Portugal. The match seemed to be ticketed for a draw until Bruno Alves netted the winner in injury time of the second half.

A key takeaway from this match was that Mexico looked much improved from the squad that lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier in the week. El Tri was able to create many chances on goal but found themselves unable to capitalize. 

Additionally the team played a better second half than first and was able to win the possession battle for the game. This is a stark comparison to the team that was outplayed for much of their last match.

Of course these statistics must be taken with a grain of salt. Despite multiple scoring opportunities, El Tri was unable to find the back of the net.

Additionally, the defensive lapse that cost them the match is a crucial late game error that could be costly in Brazil. Finally, it must be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the world, did not play. If he had it is possible that the match would have gone very differently.

Another issue facing Miguel Herrera’s squad is the goalkeeping. Herrera gave both Jesus Corona and Guillermo Ochoa 45 minutes to show why they should start come next week.

When the games start to matter there are two areas that Mexico is going to need to improve on if they are to get past Group A. The first is finishing. El Tri had plenty of chances but couldn’t find the proper shot.

Offensive stud Chicharito hasn’t scored in almost a year and did not appear in this game. The two forwards who started in his place, did not have a shot between the two of them.

The second area will be fixing up their defense. They did hold Portugal scoreless for more than 90 minutes but there were moments when it was clear that there was a lack of chemistry and communication including the Alves goal.

These lapses need to be fixed up especially against the strong offensive teams in their group.

Mexico’s next match will be June 13 against Cameroon in Brazil.