Chile 1 : 3 Mexico
Tata Martino’s first match saw Mexico beat the Chilean side 3-1 in San Diego in an entertaining encounter. All the goals came in the second half, in a match which stayed competitive until the final whistle.
Goals from Raul Jimenez, Hector Moreno, and Chucky Lozano pulled El Tri three ahead fairly rapidly and Nicholas Castillo’s side footed tap in was mere consolation for El Rojo.
The first Chilean threat was prevented by some good tidying up by Carlos Salcedo to divert a dangerous run away from goal. The Mexican captain Andres Guardado belied the term friendly when he was booked for a foul and from the free kick, El Tri keeper Guillermo Ochoa saved superbly from an Arturo Vidal header. It was as close as anybody came in the first half.
Mexico’s first real effort arrived from a Jimenez long distance effort which went over the bar from a neat Lozano flick down. Rodolfo Pizarro nearly met a zipping Jimenez cross with a diving header on 21 as the game swang back to El Tri. At the other end, Moreno cleared from almost under his own bar as Ochoa failed to come out quick enough.
Ivan Morales swung beautifully at a Mauricio Isla cross on 28 minutes, and it would have been a marvelous goal had the ball not cleared the crossbar by eight feet. Lozano was booked for a crude tackle on Vidal, and then nearly earned a second yellow by arguing with the referee. Only superb defending by the ever vigilant Moreno prevented a late Chile breakaway in the first half.
Rodolfo Pizarro in possession for El Tri
Photo: Navil Segura
It had been decent stuff, but nothing signified the goal avalanche to come.
After the break, Vidal looked instantly hungrier and in search of possession, almost as if he’d been told he wouldn’t have to play 90 minutes. However, it Mexico who nearly opened the scoring when Jimenez hit the post with Arias barely moving.
He did better in the 52nd minute when Mexico were awarded a penalty. Pedro Hernandez was harshly adjudged to have fouled the Wolves player and it was he who slotted home the penalty to give Mexico the lead.
Hernandez was booked for what looked like a good tackle by Unkel on the hour mark to compound his discontent with the MLS referee.
Then, the goals started to rain.
Moreno headed home a left wing Guardado corner in the 64th minute to make it 2-0 and within seconds of that effort, a Lozano chip beat the onrushing Arias in the Chile goal after Chile had given the ball away in their own half. Suddenly, a 1-0 lead had become 3-0 and the game was over as a competitive spectacle.
Nicolas Castillo pulled one back with a side footed right wing effort minutes after to complete the scoring.
Thereafter the substitutions that generally litter the second halves of these friendlies began. West Ham’s Chicharito entered as did PSV’s Erick Gutierrez. The game then petered out, but less so than is normal in these friendlies, and Mexico had a fourth chalked off for offside.
The Mexicans now travel north to Santa Clara to face Paraguay. The smile may be off Martino’s face by then, but only just.
Referee: Ted Unkel (USA)
Starting XIs
Chile: Gabriel Arias, Eugenio Mena, Mauricio Isla, Guillermo Maripan, Arturo Vidal, Nicolas Castillo, Erick Pulgar, Pedro Hernandez, Gary Medel (c) Charles Aranguiz, Ivan Morales
Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa, Luis Rodriguez, Edson Alvarez, Hector Moreno, Jesus Gallardo, Carlos Rodriguez, Andres Guardado (c), Rodolfo Pizarro, Hirving Lozano, Raul Jimenez, Carlos Salcedo
