Why we should expect fireworks in the U-17 FIFA World Cup Final

When you compare the Mexican National Soccer team and its Brazilian counterpart, it’s without a doubt evident that Brazil is superior. After all, the South Americans are the only five-time FIFA World Cup winners and have produced some of the best players in the history of soccer.

Mexico’s had a modest history, despite not having significant titles like Brazil, they’re a constant World Cup participant and typically perform admirably in the competition.

In the early history of matches between these two, Brazil was the far more dominant team. According to 11v11.com, from 1950 to July 1999, La Selecao won 18 of the 25 matches between the rivals.

PLAYING TOE-TO-TOE

In August of 1999, Mexico beat Brazil and Ronaldhino 4-3 in the Confederations Cup Final. The victory gave El Tri their first and only FIFA title in the history of La Seleccion Mayor. Over 100-thousand fans witnessed Cuauhtemoc Blanco and company lift the trophy in one of the most celebrated accomplishments in Mexican soccer history.

Los Aztecas went on to keep Brazil without a victory against them for the next five games. It was almost as though El Tri had found the secret formula that worked when playing the futbol giants. During their best stretch, Mexico held Brazil to a single victory in games they played against them.

The success of the Mexican team versus La Canarinha also translated into the youth squads. In 2005, Los Niños Heroes led by Carlos Vela and Giovani dos Santos, beat Brazil in the U-17 World Cup final held in Peru. That was the first World Cup title in any division for Mexico.

Arguably one of El Tri’s most prominent accomplishments came against La Verde-Amarela when they beat them in the 2012 London Olympics. El Tricolor won the Gold Medal against an adamant opponent, and it felt good to see that it was no longer a shock to beat the Brazilians.

SUCCESS IS NOT PERMANENT, BUT ENTERTAINMENT IS

The tide, however, changed en La Mayor as Brazil has won five out of the last seven games, including a 2-0 victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. There’s no question who the better team is and who is typically the favorite, but time and time again, Mexico has shown that it can compete with the team from CONMEBOL.

When these two teams play each other, it’s very unusual to watch a dull, or let alone a scoreless game. In the 41 times they’ve faced-off, only three of them have ended 0-0. Though Brazil possesses much more finesse than their Mexican counterparts, their styles mesh well and typically create an exciting spectacle.

THERE WILL BE A WORTHY CHAMPION

The 2019 U-17 FIFA World Cup Final will pit these two once again. Brazil is the favorite coming into this game, but Mexico is riding a wave of momentum that took them to the championship match.

Brazil swept its competition in the opening round of the tournament, then faced intense battles against Chile and Italy in the early part of the knockout stage. The young Brazilians showed their character in the semi-finals against France as they managed to secure a 3-2 come-from-behind victory after being down 2-0.

For their part, Mexico struggled in the group stage and got into the knockout stage as one of the best third-place teams. After getting the most-lopsided victories of the tournament versus the Solomon Islands, the young Aztecs went on to beat Japan and South Korea in the early part of the knockout stage.

Then, they defeated the Netherlands in penalties thanks to a formidable performance by their goalkeeper, Eduardo Garcia.

My prediction is the following; expect fireworks. Every time these two meet, fire and courage will rub against each other, but most importantly, the pride that these two possess is second to none.

Whoever wins will be a worthy victor of the U-17 World Cup.