Mexico’s final Group B game against Ecuador was a must-win, and one that Ecuador would have rather not left to chance, but for long spells of a scrappy, tetchy game, it looked as if neither side really had what it took. Poor first touches, aimless long balls, slips, falls and fouls, a goalless opening 45 minutes in particular had it all.
A passage of play on the half-hour mark summed it up, as Alan Franco needlessly bounced a five-yard pass up to Piero Hincapie’s chest. The left-back had no choice but to control, and volley it wildly down the line. Two minutes later, the usually pristine Bayer Leverkusen centre-back skewed another long ball horribly out of play. When Ecuador did break into the final third – like they did with Enner Valencia on 80 minutes – it was baffling decision-making that let them down.
Mexico were not bursting with ideas either, and although they noticeably upped the intensity in the second half as their need for a goal became greater, the best chances arrived from set-pieces, penalty-box pinball and moments of individualism, rather than anything manufactured in the dressing room. A 96th-minute penalty, eventually overturned by VAR, would have been the most dramatic get-out-of-jail card of the competition.
With the defending world champions awaiting, things will have to be tidied up. Argentina have kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight competitive games, and will certainly not be broken down without a more intricate plan.
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Publish date : 2024-07-04 17:50:45
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