Mexico vs Iceland: Takeaways from El Tri’s 1-0 win

Three quick takeaways from Mexico’s 1-0 win over Iceland in Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium .

Little to rescue from this match

You couldn't quite say this was an entertaining game. Although Mexico had the better of the match and the scoreline might have been worse for Iceland had El Tri done better with their finishing, it won’t be a game that will be remembered for a long time.

The same, though, could not be said about Edson Alvarez and Luis Reyes, who will remember this game the most after the pair made their debuts with the Mexico national team. The former, in particular, has shown great form for Club America and is tipped to be a regular with El Tri for years to come.

Orbelin in the midfield

You could say that it was all down to type of match that was being played, but it was difficult to find one player that stood out. That said, Orbelin Pineda was among one of those most engaged in the match. The young Chivas midfielder is having a decent start to 2017 Clausura season, and while he didn’t affect this game in the manner that he might have wanted, perhaps it is time for coach Juan Carlos Osorio to start considering him as a starter in World Cup qualifying.

It is easy to lament the fact that Hector Herrera isn’t getting any playing time at FC Porto, but in truth, he hasn’t been playing well for the national team, regardless. With Orbelin Pineda playing so well, it might be a matter of time we see Pineda taking Herrera’s place in the midfield.

Chucky stuttering?

Hirving Lozano’s recent spell of goal-scoring form has continued debate about whether he belongs in a top league in Europe. This game, however, showed why he might still need some work. The Pachuca forward was first to so many of Mexico’s crosses from the wide area but was unable to get on the scoresheet. In fact, Lozano was a big reason why this game ended just 1-0.

But to be fair to “Chucky”, he seemed to be playing a more central role than usual, and at the very least, he offered the kind of movement that in effect put him in clear positions to challenge the goal. All things considered, we will give him a pass just for this game.