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Mexico will face a key match in their second game of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship as they face a Canada team needing a win to stay alive in the tournament.
Mexico is currently top of their group after beating the weakest team there, Antigua and Barbuda, by a score of 3-0. Canada will need at least a draw and possibly a victory if they want to avoid elimination after only two games.
While El Tri is the favorite to win the group and possibly the tournament, they didn't have a great start. Sure, they completely dominated and didn't face a single dangerous opportunity from Antigua and Barbuda, but after missing a penalty kick in the second half, the team fell apart offensively. The game became a concert of misses and against arguably the weakest team in the tournament. A lack of finishing can definitely be a problem in such a short tournament and they will face a Canada team that will be playing for all the marbles after losing their game against Honduras.
Indeed, Canada is in deep trouble after losing what many thought was the key match of the tournament. Although they started well and were the better team in the first half, they faltered badly in the second, especially physically. Honduras is a tough, physical team, but they weren't overly fast. The game was played in cool conditions, so the lack of fitness by Canada was their own doing.
That said, the conditions are in Mexico’s favor. Canada is a better team than Antigua and Barbuda, but they don't look to be better than Mexico. It is also worth mentioning that despite missing a lot of chances, Mexico did find ways to create against an Antigua and Barbuda side that parked the bus from the opening minute. If Canada open up, Mexico can and should be able to take advantage of the space given in a game in which El Tri are once again clear favorites.
Date: Monday, February 20
Time: 5:30 PM Pacific, 7:30 PM Central, 8:30 PM Eastern
Venue: Estadio Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica
Television: United States - Univision Deportes Network
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription)