Five Quick Conclusions from Mexico vs New Zealand

1) Mexico played well for a team that had never played together and had three players making their debut. While it wasn't a great victory, they were the better team and did so against a team that has been playing together longer and were closer to their main team.

2) While it was worrying how Oribe Peralta was controlled by the New Zealand defenders in the first half, he took advantage and made a great play for the goal. So was it all forgiven? I'm not sure, especially since he will get time in the Hexagonal (unlike most other players in this team) and will face very physical team with large defenders like the U.S. and Panama. That said, it was a friendly and he might not have been as active on purpose.

3) The new defense suffered greatly at times and didn't shine. Hedgardo Marin was easily Mexico's worst player in the first half and the rest of the defense made do but didn't really give much safety. Hugo Ayala continued his national team career of "continually making big mistakes that lead to goals" and let in the New Zealand goal. While the rest of the game they did their job, they constantly coughed up balls and the rest of the game always had the feeling of danger from New Zealand.

4) Chivas players had a disappointing game in general. Isaac Brizuela was the most disappointing player of the game. Although he didn't have much time, during his time on the field he had no impact at all. Marin improved in the second half but overall he was the weakest defender. Alan Pulido also had no impact, although he looked more as a victim of the team situation at the time of his substitution. Orbelin Pineda looked the best but his time on the field was too little to get a good reading.

5) Gio Dos Santos and Marco Fabian earned themselves another look and maybe a Hexagonal call up. Although I wasn't as impressed by Gio as other people were, he did show some flashes of brilliance during the game, and his current quality, along with his past national team success, may get him the benefit of a doubt for a new call up. Fabian was one of the best players in the national team and the fact that he is finally having an impact at Eintracht Frankfurt all should add up to a future call up with El Tri.