Jiménez and Chucky lead El Tri in Tata Martino’s victorious debut
The Tata Martino era is officially underway for the Mexican National Team, kicking off with a win in San Diego. El Tata started with a few surprises in his lineup, most notably leaving Chicharito Hernandez, Diego Reyes and Miguel Layun on the bench, three stalwarts of El Tri in the past.
El Tri, debuting their attractive new black jersey, started with a healthy back and forth with the team from the Andes. At stretches, during the first half, they seemed to have substantial control over Chile, but that gave way to La Roja having more control of the ball towards the end of the first half.
Things started a little chippy, with captain Andres Guardado earning himself a yellow at the 13th minute after a rough foul on Chilean midfielder, Charles Aranguiz.
On the ensuing free kick, in his 100th National Team cap, Mexico goalie Guillermo Ochoa was able to divert a dangerous Chilean header that was going his way. Things started heating up afterward for Mexico, with Raul Jimenez coming close at the 17th minute when his volley from outside the box went just over the Chilean goalie’s top right post.
Soon after at the 20th minute, Jimenez came down the right side and fired in a center that zipped by just too fast for Rodolfo Pizarro to make contact. However, the Andean team would have their response at the 22nd minute when Club America’s Nico Castillo chipped a high ball over Ochoa’s head, but unfortunately for his efforts, defender Hector Moreno would get there in time to clear the ball out to a corner.
Mexico would earn their second yellow at the 29th minute with Chucky Lozano getting booked for a rough foul on Chilean superstar, El Rey Arturo Vidal. Towards the middle of the second half, the game evened out for both teams and even seemed to slow and get stuck at times.
For the second half, both teams jumped out onto the field with the same men they started the first half. Things would get off to a rapid start for Mexico when at the 50th minute, Raul Jimenez would fire off a shot across the Andean goalie that would, unfortunately for the Mexico fans watching, bounce off the right goal post. However, their fortune would soon turn for the better, when just a minute after, at the 51st minute, Carlos Salcedo would be brought down by opposing defender, Pedro Pablo Hernandez, inside the penalty box.
Referee Ted Unkle would not hesitate to call the penalty, and Raul Jimenez would be the one to step up to convert. The Wolverhampton star would do just that, opening the score 1-0 in the Aztec team’s favor. After the goal, Tata’s men lunged forward in search of another. Guardado came close with a long-range shot at the 53rd minute that veered off to the right just enough to miss the goal. At the 55th minute, the game would again get chippy when Chilean star Gary Medel came crashing down on Raul Jimenez, injuring the Mexican goal scorer in the process. However, Jimenez would get up after a few minutes, getting back into the game although with a limp that he would shake off after a few runs.
Guardado, the man from Real Betis, would again come close to amplifying the score, when Tigres midfielder, Luis Rodriguez, centered in a precise ball that the Betis star couldn’t get in. However, things would really open up for El Tri soon after. At the 64th minute, after La Roja gave up a free kick to the Mexican side, Andres Guardado would center in a ball right to Hector Moreno who would not miss heading it into the back of the net.
The crowd of nearly 50 thousand attendees was still celebrating when barely a minute after, Chilean defender Guillermo Maripan lost control of the ball and deflected it to ex-Chivas star and current Monterrey player, Rodolfo Pizarro. With the Andean team taken by surprise and without the proper men to defend, Pizarro would give PSV star Chucky Lozano a clear through ball, leaving him alone to face the Chilean goalie, who Lozano easily defeated with a quick chip over his head. After this immediately ensuing goal, the fans in attendance erupted in celebration. Pandemonium nearly broke out when a minute later el Chucky came down the right side, speeding past everyone and sending in a deadly center that Arturo Vidal would send out at the last second.
La Roja would also add to the scoreboard when the ex-Pumas star, Nico Castillo, received a low center from Mauricio Isla in the middle of the box, allowing him to launch the ball just past Memo Ochoa to make the score 3-1. After the goal, things would even out for both teams, although Mexico at times seemed closer to a fourth goal than Chile did to a second.
Tata Martino did give a chance for Premier League star Chicharito Hernandez to leave his mark in the game, subbing him out for fellow Premier League star Jimenez, who exited the game to a standing ovation. Real Betis and ex- Club America youngster Diego Lainez also saw action from the 81st minute onward after coming on for Chucky Lozano. Chucky’s fellow PSV teammate, Erick Gutierrez, also saw a few minutes of play, coming in at the 75th minute for captain Andres Guardado.
Near the end of the game, two of Tata’s subs nearly extended Mexico’s lead, when Luis Montes, recently subbed in for Rodolfo Pizarro, took a shot from outside the box, accidentally bouncing it off Chicharito Hernandez and into the back of the Chilean net. However, this goal would be called offsides, thus preserving the final 3-1 score.
After the final whistle blew, the fans excitement could hardly be contained, with loud cheering and a few beer showers visible throughout the stadium. During the post-game press conference, head coach Tata Martino for his end was also happy for the win but stressed that it was just a friendly between the two nations and should be taken as such.
El Tata also had some praise for Liga MX and its players, describing it as a more competitive league than others around the world, including La Liga. However, he did note that those Mexican players that play in Europe have an inherent advantage over those in Liga MX, even stating that perhaps someone like El Tecatito Corona, a notable absence in his call up, could have taken the spot of a Luis Rodriguez or others.
Overall, the coach and players were happy with the result. The fans on their end were excited with the game they saw unfold on the field, enormously satisfied with a strong Mexico showing and with an attractive score to top it off. As one El Tri fan who spoke to us, Bruno Rodriguez, put it, “Mexico overpowered their opponent to send a clear message: ‘We are unstoppable!’”
El Tata Martino and the rest of El Tri will travel to Santa Clara in the hopes of continuing to give their fans that sense of invincibility when they take on the Paraguayan National team on Tuesday. Mexican fans can rejoice for now that the Tata Martino era has begun, and by all indications, it’s off to what would seem like a promising start. A statement win in the first game will, of course, do that.
