Mexico’s 7-0 loss to Chile at the recently-concluded Copa America Centenario was perhaps the most embarrassing defeat the Mexican national team has ever had. The team was not just outplayed by Chile, but they were comprehensively beaten down.
Chile’s forwards and midfielders placed heavy pressure on Mexico’s backline early on, and pushed the ball quickly through the wings and right down the middle of the field, forcing Mexico’s backline to scramble toward the ball.
The first of seven goals came in the 16th minute after an unmarked Edson Puch capitalized on a loose ball and shot it directly into the bottom left corner past Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Although Chile had a 1-0 lead, the game became much more open after the first goal. Both teams had decent opportunities at scoring, but for the most part it seemed like the scoreline would remain the same heading into halftime.
Instead, Chile managed to double its lead in the 44th minute after Eduardo Vargas broke free from Hector Moreno’s mark and placed the ball in the bottom right corner. Now down 2-0 before halftime, Mexico’s chances of coming back looked slim.
Both of Chile’s goals in the first half came as a result of poor marking from Mexico’s defenders and stellar play from Chilean players like Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal. One of the biggest mistakes Mexico made in the first half was dedicating too many players to attack the ball.
Mexico’s backline would constantly swarm the player with ball, leaving several Chilean forwards unmarked and ready to score. Instead of fixing this issue at halftime, Mexico continued to make the same mistake in the second half.
The next 45 minutes were a complete disaster for Mexico. Chile poured on the pressure and gave Mexico a hard time on defense. Within a span of ten minutes, Chile managed to score three goals and after a few more minutes, they scored two more. The game’s final scoreline was 7-0, with Mexico suffering their worst defeat in over 50 years.
While it was certainly an embarrassing loss for Mexico, it really should not be the end of the world. It is important to remember who Mexico was before the game with Chile.
This team went nearly a full year without a single loss. They also had the longest undefeated streak in the world at the time and were arguably the best team in the CONCACAF region. Fans and critics must realize that this is still the same team.
While some argue Juan Carlos Osorio should be fired for his questionable tinkering with Mexico’s lineup during the Copa America, the Mexican Soccer Federation has made it clear that they are going to stick with Osorio as Mexico’s head coach.
It is obvious that Osorio should take part of the blame for Mexico’s 7-0 loss, but firing him would only set Mexico back instead of moving the team forward. Fans and critics need to realize that Mexico has an impressive 9-1-1 record under Osorio – a record that few international teams can boast of currently.
Even with this strong record, Osorio will still need to make some significant changes to his coaching tactics if he wants to prove that he is still the right man for the job. Part of what went wrong for Mexico in the Copa America was caused by the lack of chemistry between players on the field.
This issue was mostly due to Osorio’s constant tinkering with the team’s starting 11. Osorio made changes to the team’s lineup each game and practically used every player on the team’s roster during the Copa America. These constant changes in the lineup greatly affected the team’s chemistry.
This lack of chemistry was most evident within Mexico’s backline, which was very shaky and inconsistent during the Copa America. Throughout the tournament, defenders like Jesús Dueñas, Néstor Araújo, and Yasser Corona got the opportunities to start even though they were clearly not ready.
Mexico was fortunate to have played against Jamaica and Venezuela in the group stage because both teams lacked quality strikers who could have capitalized on Mexico’s fragile defense. Chile, on the other hand, clearly showed what a team of lethal forwards and midfielders could do against Mexico.
Considering the fact that the 2017 Confederations Cup is only a year away, it is important for Mexico to have a stable system in place prior to the tournament. With that said, Osorio needs to be more consistent with his lineups and always have his best 11 players on the field.
Osorio will get the opportunity to get Mexico back on the right track with its upcoming World Cup qualifying games against El Salvador and Honduras. These are two very beatable opponents for Mexico and can help give the team some momentum heading into the final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying.
All things considered, Mexico is still a strong team with a lot of talent. Their current batch of players is arguably the most talented the country has ever had, and with younger players like Hirving Lozano, Erick Torres, and Jurgen Damm developing into solid players, the future of the Mexican national team is very bright.
The best way for this team to build some momentum and get its embarrassing 7-0 loss to Chile behind them is to start getting some wins. Mexico’s next few fixtures in World Cup Qualifying will be crucial to the team’s future, and winning these games can get the team back in the right direction. Any other result will likely cost Osorio his job as head coach and hurt the progress that has been achieved under him.
