Si Fue Penal! Mexico Victorious In Amsterdam!
Mexico! Mexico! RA RA RA! Fans all around the world got to witness a very strong and confident Mexican National team travel to Amsterdam to the Johan Cruyff Arena and walk out victorious in a one-to-zero victory over what seemed to be the superior opponent and clear favorite. Let’s break down today’s matchup and what were some key moments in El Tri’s victory.
The First 45:
La Selección dominated the first 20 minutes of the match and possession ball with some clear and wide-open chances to open up the board. They were led by Wolverhampton’s lead goal scorer Raul Jimenez and by FC Portos player of the year Jesus “Tecatito” Corona, who both clearly showed some skillful footwork and potential during a performance where the scoreboard would have been greater in favor of El Tri.
Once the Netherlands regained control of the midfield the chances to score for El Tri slowed down as they were forced to start defending as the speed and strength of the Netherlands grew the rest of the first half. Both teams had some clear shots and mistakes, but the scoreboard stayed at zero for both sides.
The Second Half:
Similarly to the first half, Tata Martino’s men started off dominating and taking advantage of defensive errors by The Flying Dutchmen. The opportunities to open up the score were still evident, but both sides would not budge. Fabulous saves by Alfredo Talavera helped him keep a clean sheet, and he proved why he needs to be considered to the main squad.
During the 60th minute of the match, things got really interesting, and the ghost of penalties past resurfaced from 2014 and with a controversial foul in the box, but this time in favor of the Mexicans. Raul Jimenez redeemed himself from the first half woes and would score the match’s lone goal with a simple and subtle penalty shot to the goal’s bottom left corner. El Tri went on to take the victory with eight shots and three on target as the three minutes of stoppage time would not be enough for the Orange to even out the score.
The powerful Netherlands squad fell short to the CONCACAF giant in what you can say is a worrying loss for them as they used this game in preparation for their upcoming Nations League matches. Mexico will take this as a big victory against an international great, as they get ready for one more matchup away from home next week against Algeria on October 13th.
