Since the US game wasent on TV I decided to watch Mexico on telemundo. This was a mixed Mexican squad of experienced guys (Blanco + Pardo) and youth, regardless they should of lost this game 3-1 but the Arg kids missed some point blank goals by fumbling the ball. One thing I have noticed from this friendlies from Mexico is they completely fall apart when they dont control the ball. Not only that, they are really lacking speed. Not even the young Mexican kids could keep up with Argentinas speed. My expectation for this is for Beasely to mostdef have a big game against Mexico. Anyone see anything from Lavolpes squad start typing.
I watched the game since I had a bout of insomnia and decided to see how Mexico stacked up. A few things to consider: I have no idea why Blanco keeps getting called up. I think he may have made one decent play but I didn't think he has the wheels to keep up. A lot of of the Mexican players could not keep up with Argentina. Good thing they have Borguetti. Poor quality of play by Mexico in the second half. They played very entertainingly in the first half but the Argie defense shut down their midfield and pretty much shut them down entirely. OTOH, it looked to me that Mexico bunkered. At any point, most of the team seemed to just want for the whistle to be blown and walk off the field. I think Pardo is a waste of a roster space. It easily could have gone eaither way as Mexico and Argentina both wasted chances. Argentina's #9 wasted a BIG shot and had Perez dead in the water. I counted at least 2 point blank gols. Ramon Morales is very very very god and quick. He is going to give the US team fits. I like him. This Argentina team gelled as the game progressed. The started to double team and causing turnover. They played until the whistle blew I didn;t take into account Zinha. He didn't stand out much. I wanted to keep an eye on him but just lost track of him Is Hugo Perez significantly better than LaVolpe? Good thing this isn't Mexico's A-team
-I dont think Hugo could of made a huge difference in this game. Argentinas individual skill was just too much for the Mexicans to handle in the 2nd half. Plus Argie was very nervous in the 1st half, mistakes left and right (autogoal was the most obvious one) That is why Argentina and Brazil are super powers. They grow crazy talent out there. -Even if it wasent a Mexicans A team they still had a blend of experience and youth which should of given them advantage over this newly formed group of Argies. I wouldnt consider Argies team a B team since they had no experience players helping them. So The logic bomb of Mexicos B team beating Argies C team was kinda dissapointing. - And yes Morales looked good, my only complaint about him is his size.
I agree with you about Agrentina's individual skill. They started to get better as the game progressed. They were consistently beating Mexico on 50/50 balls and played until the final whistle. If we want to call this a B or C Mexico team, they still should have outplayed Argentina. Another thing, Hugo Sanchez ( the defender) was pretty good. I can't recall him making too many bad plays. I never got to check out Lozano. I was hoping he got called. If he did make the game, I never saw him.
Not even close, but even Argentina's B or C team is pretty damn good. Overall, I wasn't impressed by Mexico. They looked like a totally different team than the one we saw play against Costa Rica. I'm starting to wonder how badly the Ticos have fallen off their 2002 form. Kikin looked very good up top. He got himself into a lot of good positions and is a strong and fast physical presence. Aside from a couple of neat tricks on the ball, and a kick-ass backheel to set up Morales' shot, Blanco was inactive and deservedly subbed. With Morales playing as well as he did, I wonder what happens when Lozano's back. Will Lavolpe try to find a way to get both guys on the field, or does Morales get placed back on the bench? Altamirano is Hejduk's Mexican cousin. Mexico's defense looked very vulnerable. I didn't like Salcido's game on the left, and Sanchez looked slow compared to Argentina's forwards. Argentina flubbed a couple of clear opportunities. Also, Argentina found a lot of space on their left side/Mexico's right side. Finally, Argentina seemed to own the midfield by keeping possession of the ball. Man those kids know how to play in tight spaces, don't they? Mexico spent a lot of time ball-chasing. We should emulate that approach as much as possible.
First on Nutmeg's point about tight spaces for Argentina: they did play well in the tight conditions along the line, however they almost seemed to play to much. I thought it was a rather sloppy game. It was mentioned how Mexico "won" the first half and Argentina "won" the second half. I would say they both lost. It was almost expected as both teams didn't bring the real guns to this match. I was hoping for something more. It was almost like the statistics show regarding Mexico: score around the mid way mark of the first half and sit back and try ride it out for a win, only to have the other team equalize leaving them with a tie. As for Blanco I just want him to start against the USA. Finally had a staunch Mexican see the light about Blanco's lack of speed. Technically he's a good player but he doesn't have the gas anymore. So the USA should burn him and render him useless. It was good to see El Conejo in goal and feeling good about his stops. He should easily be drilled for a couple by the US too. Unfortunately he just makes mistakes at the wrong time for Mexico and at the right time for the other team.
Lozano was at Tegucigalpa playing Olimpia. As for Blanco, in the 2nd half he tried to much individual stuff, which is why he looked bad. In the first half he played alright, one instance making an excelent pass to pardo for a sure goal blocked by lux. Blanco still should be on the team, as a playmaker role Kikin played alright, he had one chance as well that could have easily been a goal, blocked by lux. Ramoncito had a good game. He might be a sub for lozano. Conejo played surprisingly good, but dont get your hopes up TeamUSA, Oswaldo to the rescue. Tight spaces and short accurate passes is what it takes to beat a bunkering team. Arg proved their talent in the second half. They came together.
The US does not need to bunker against Mexico anymore. Mexico's lack of speed, athleticism, and creativity will be their undoing against the US.
i watched the whole first half, and half of the 2nd. i thought mexico looked in control through the first half and argentina looked off, not together, etc. in the 2nd half, mexico was not playin as fluently as before and argentina finally equalized. i went to bed soon after the tying goal, what was the final score? forza inter
Mexico Porteros/Golie Oscar Pérez (Cruz Azul) Moisés Muñoz (Morelia) Defensas/Defence Héctor Altamirano (Santos) Omar Briceño (Tigres) Hugo Sánchez (Tigres) Carlos Salcido (Guadalajara) Francisco Javier Rodríguez (Guadalajara) Ricardo Osorio (Cruz Azul) Salvador Carmona (Cruz Azul) Mediocampo/Midfield Ramón Morales (Guadalajara) Pavel Pardo (América) Antonio Naelson "Sinha" (Toluca) Israel López (Toluca) Rafael García (Cruz Azul) Delanteros/Forwards Omar Bravo (Guadalajara) Cuauhtémoc Blanco (América) Jared Borgetti (Pachuca) Francisco Fonseca (Cruz Azul) Argentina Portero/Goalie Oscar Ustari (Independiente) Defensas/Defence Fabricio Fuentes (Vélez), Cristian Grabinski (Racing) Diego Crosa (Racing) Daniel Díaz (Colón) Mauricio Romero (Lanús) Maximiliano Velázquez (Lanús) Mediocampo/Midfield Lucas Castromán (Vélez), Martín Romagnoli (Colón) Fernando Belluschi (Newell's) José Sosa (Estudiantes) Federico Insúa (Independiente) Delanteros/Forwards Rolando Zárate (Vélez) Lisandro López (Racing) Rodrigo Palacio (Boca)
argentina went with a complete domestic line-up... mexico controlled possession most of the 1st half, but they are struggling up top.... blanco is past his prime and borghetti never played...fonseca was average at best.... pekerman must have rasied hell at the half, because argentina came out and played much better, dominating the ball.....and keeping mexico out of their possession game.... mexico needs to have some one emerge as a finisher, because without that, they aren't as good as past incarnations... some kid needs to step up!!
Problem is they never had anyone do it consistently. Which is good for us I guess. In the end it's all about ball control, im sure BEASTly and Dovanon will burn them up and down the field just like in the WC. We will still need to control to the ball cause they always fall apart when they can't dictate the tempo.
Why do you guys keep saying this was mexicaos B team this practicly the same team tha has been playing the qualidfiers. and the last two friendlies so this is the basic team expect for maybe on or two guys but this was thie A squad. So they did get beat by an Argie C team but its all good Mexico sucks and on the 27th they will be exposed.
I am not an expert at naming the Mexican A team, but by my count against Argentina they started six of the same players that started against CR. Perez Sanchez Salcido Pardo Fonseca Blanco