Mexico vs Iceland: The Good and The Bad

Since their game versus Iceland was a non-FIFA date friendly, the bar for Mexico was always going to be low. I tried to find some things I liked and ones I did not like.

Me Gusta

• Mexico scoring on a set piece. Mexico has long had a history of being vulnerable on set pieces. It was nice to see them look dangerous on set pieces for a change. A nice cross from Giovani Dos Santos provided the service Pulido needed to put them ahead 1-0 in the first half.
• The playing surface was not trash. These molero games have a habit of being played on terrible surfaces. Although the field tonight was artificial, it was one of the newest types of artificial turf. It was installed less than 1.5 years ago and an improvement over recent games.
• Youngsters played...kinda. Edson Alvarez came on for his debut and played the final 30 minutes. He played just in front of the back 3, in the middle of the field. Orbelin Pineda went the full 90 minutes and showed some flashes of his immense potential. Jesus Gallardo started and provided width but didn’t show too much to challenge for meaningful minutes in March. Of course, Lozano played all 90 minutes and missed a couple good chances to increase Mexico’s lead. Also, he was knocked around all game long. Which leads to maybe the best thing about the game...
• No injuries going into the March World Cup Qualifiers.

No Me Gusta

• The bad sight lines for the camera. The bad camera angle meant you could hardly see what the left winger (or right winger in 2nd half) was doing for long stretches of the game. Especially with Osorio preaching width, it was a bit annoying. The cameraman even lost sight of the ball a few times.
• Inability to make the final key pass in the 18. Mexico had the bulk of possession, nearly 75%, but failed to create many chances. The game featured too many crosses into the box against taller opponents. Its almost like the team ran out of ideas and decided to send in cross after cross.
• Ultimately, I am not sure we (or Osorio) learned anything from this game. That is why I was hoping this call up would be even younger (donde esta Cesar Montes?). At least then we can say he was trying out new players. I find it hard to believe he learned anything that will help him win future games and if that’s not the point of friendlies, then what is?

What did you like/dislike about the game?