VIBRANT MEXICO SHOVE 2006 WORLD CUP FINALISTS FRANCE ON THE VERGE OF ELIMINATION
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Jun 2010
A vibrant young Mexican side, learning from its opening match experience against host nation South Africa, capitalized on the weakness of 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists France to hammer out a 2-0 win and send the French on the verge of elimination in the Group stage of the biggest sports event in the world.
In the match played at Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium it was the Mexican players coming off the bench who grabbed the goals that moved the Mexicans to the brink of the round of 16 with a well deserved victory over a listless French side.
In what was regarded as a basically evenly matched encounter with little to choose between the two talented but inconsistent sides, the Mexicans showed more creativity and verve and created the better chances most of the match.
The FIFA match report noted that the French defense looked vulnerable faced with the pace and movement of Mexico's youthful attack, and Les Bleus should really have conceded a goal inside eight minutes. All it took was a simple lofted ball over the top from Rafael Marquez to leave them exposed but Carlos Vela, the young Arsenal forward having raced clean through, ballooned his left-foot shot high over the crossbar.
Mexico were showing plenty of ambition, and FIFA?s report said their willingness to commit men forward was exemplified in left-back Carlos Salcido, who twice went close midway through the half. First, with 18 minutes played, he charged forward from his defensive berth and rifled a low drive just wide of the far post. Then, nine minutes later, Salcido again burst forward, jinked inside Bacary Sagna and, with William Gallas backing off, poked in a right-foot shot that Hugo Lloris could only parry clear.
France were more cautious in their approach, although the largely-subdued Franck Ribery did provide one worthwhile effort with a powerful right-foot shot that flashed across goal. Mexico remained the more threatening, and even the loss of Vela to injury did not disrupt their rhythm, with the Arsenal striker's replacement, Pablo Berrera, heading just wide within a couple of minutes of entering the fray.
The French would have felt fortunate to return to the dressing rooms with the scores level, but they emerged with renewed determination and forced a decent early save from Oscar Perez when Florent Malouda was given time and space to crack in a powerful right-foot shot. With Mexico struggling to replicate their first-half form, Javier Aguirre rang the changes, and it was one of his substitutes, Hernandez, who provided the all-important breakthrough.
Marquez again split the French defence with a simple through-ball, and Hernandez, having sprung the offside trap, coolly sidestepped Lloris before sidefooting into the open net. A resolute French response seemed inevitable, yet it never materialised. Instead, Mexico made sure of all three points when Blanco slotted a textbook penalty to the right of Lloris after Barrera's thrilling run was halted by Eric Abidal's sliding challenge. El Tri now march on to their final fixture against Uruguay knowing that a point will be enough to see them through to the last 16, while France face the hosts knowing that only an unlikely set of results will salvage their South Africa 2010 dreams.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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