Mexico returned to international play in a winning 3-1 effort against El Salvador in a World Cup Qualifier at the Estadio Cuscatlán.
Juan Carlos Osorio’s men had to come from behind to claim victory at the Estadio Cuscatlán. Jorge Torres Nilo committed a massive gaffe when he blocked a cross with a handball, resulting in a penalty. Alexander Larin duped Guillermo Ochoa with a panenka kick to hand La Selecta a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Javier Aquino was one of the few bright spots in the first half, as El Salvador’s defenders struggled to contain him and racked up two early yellow cards.
The second half saw Mexico turn it around, starting with a 52nd minute tap in goal from Hector Moreno in a set piece. Ángel Sepúlveda and Raúl Jiménez added to the tally in the 58th and 73rd minute respectively.
While this victory does well for morale, Mexico will have to prepare for another World Cup qualifying match against Honduras on Tuesday at the Estadio Azteca.
Man of the Match: Ángel Sepúlveda
Ángel Sepúlveda’s debut came with a well-deserved goal. He distributed well and went the full 90 minutes, while taking some physical punishment early on in the match. He made quality runs to become unmarked while remaining very alert to his teammates movements when attacking. The debutant spoiled some opportunities to put the game away but never waned in effort.
Here are the ratings for the entire Friday night squad:
Guillermo Ochoa: 5.5
Héctor Moreno: 6.5
Hugo Ayala: 6
Jorge Torres Nilo: 2
Miguel Layún: 5.5
Héctor Herrera: 6.5
Rafael Márquez: 6
Andrés Guardado: 5.5
Raúl Jiménez: 6.5
Javier Aquino: 7
Ángel Sepúlveda: 7
Substitutes:
Jesús Dueñas: 6
Jesus Molina: 5
Cándido Ramírez: 5