FMF State Of Mind - Mexico vs. Venezuela, Copa America 2016: Match CoverageMexican Futbol News and Commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50265/fmf-fav.png2016-06-14T18:00:03-07:00http://www.fmfstateofmind.com/rss/stream/116817312016-06-14T18:00:03-07:002016-06-14T18:00:03-07:003 Takeaways from Mexico's Draw against Venezuela
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Thanks to late heroics from Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Mexico squeaked out a 1-1 draw versus Venezuela finishing first in Group C. Juan Carlos Osorio once again tinkered with the lineup, and the effects were felt immediately. In the 10th minute, La Vinotinto went ahead when Jose Manuel Velazquez scissor kicked in a volley in the box past J.J. Corona. With El Tri down, Osorio made adjustments bringing in Tecatito due to Aquino's injury, and Layun and Chicharito were brought on after halftime.</p>
<p>For 69 minutes, Mexico piled on the pressure, but Venezuelan goalkeeper Daniel Hernandez was lights out. It was not until in the 80th minute, when Tecatito had a Messi- esque play, taking the ball on a captivating run from about 10-15 yards out of the box leaving 5 Venezuelan players in his tracks and putting a right-footed shot to the left of the goalkeeper. Tecatito's bit of magic not only helped extend Mexico's unbeaten streak but also wrapped up the top spot in Group C for Mexico. They now head to Santa Clara where they wait and see who they will face between Panama and Chile.</p>
<p>Here are my three takeaways from the match:</p>
<p><b>1) Experimenting</b></p>
<p>When will the lineup experimenting stop? When is enough, enough? Mexico is set to enter the knockout stage, and Juan Carlos Osorio has yet to define his starting 11. The constant modifications are starting to become a detriment to the team's success, and while the unbeaten streak has yet to be broken, the team has struggled versus inferior competition.</p>
<p>In their match against Jamaica, although victorious, the team looked very sloppy and had it not been for Guillermo Ochoa, they might have tied or even lost. Against Venezuela, Osorio trotted out six new players that had not started before, and had it not been for some individual brilliance from Tecatito, Mexico might have lost. Unfortunately, Mr. Osorio, Mexico is not as deep a team as you'd like to believe and certainly not with some of the players you called up. Mexico can't trot out a B plus team, when you lineup players out of position and expect them to succeed. It was not until the 65th minute of the third match in the group stage, when Chicharito came on, that Mexico was fielding what could be considered their best lineup (give or take 1 or 2 players).</p>
<p>Soccer players thrive on consistency and familiarity, and a perfect example would be Tecatito and Layun. Both of these players play together at Porto, practice daily, and know how one another moves in their natural positions. When Layun came in, this opened up space for Tecatito. It allowed him to make the diagonal runs he is known to make (like his goal) because he knows Layun would be pushing up on the wing covering his position. On the other side, two players who are just getting acquainted were not having the same success. Paul Aguilar, a right back known for his attacking prowess, could not push up how he would have liked because Lozano was staying wide and not pinching in. Mexico is in the middle of an international tournament. They have advanced to knockout stage, and the time to be testing lineups is over. One consistent lineup with the best 11 players should be starting out every game from here on out.</p>
<p><b>2) Determination.</b></p>
<p>If there is one thing Osorio's side has shown thus far in Copa America, it is their resolve and determination. Twice in the tournament, the team has been in less than optimal positions, but their will to fight and get the necessary results have been on display. In the Group C opener against Uruguay, when La Celeste tied the match and momentum was completely on their opponents side, Osorio's men rallied back to score 2 goals in the final 8 minutes. The match against Venezuela was the first time in the Osorio Era that Mexico had ever been down. With some modifications to the lineup along with a little bit of magic, the team once again showed tenacity in difficult times and got the result that was needed to win the group. The knockout stage is a completely different animal than the group stage, and there will be times when the team will be down. Thankfully, this team has already experienced some of those moments, so if they so happen to rise again, they will band together and overcome their adversity.</p>
<p><b>3) Tecatito</b></p>
<p>Un Crack! Leading up to the Copa when people asked who I thought the breakout player would be, my answer all along was Tecatito. He is one of the most special and talented players in recent Mexican soccer history. While Hirving Lozano is right on his heels as far as speed, Tecatito's change of pace, vision, and ball control are currently unrivaled in Mexico. He has the ability to influence the outcome of a game in one play due to his tremendous skillset which is exactly what he did versus Venezuela. It wasn't just that his goal was extraordinary. It was implications behind it and the fact that he threw his team and country on his back when they needed him most. Tecatito demonstrated that a player of his caliber should never come off the field because you never know when he will pull off a little bit of magic that the team needs.</p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/14/11936804/three-takeaways-from-mexicos-draw-against-venezuelaRigo Ayala2016-06-14T12:00:06-07:002016-06-14T12:00:06-07:00Tecatito Corona wins MOTM
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>For the second game in a row, we decided to have the FMF State of Mind community pick their man of the match for Mexico's 1-1 draw with Venezuela. As they say, "the people are always right", and by the looks if it, the ratings are an accurate interpretation of what occurred at NRG Stadium. Without further more, here is your man of the match from yesterday's game.<br><br><b>Man of the Match:</b> Jesus "Tecatito" Corona<br><br>Of course, who else? Miguel Layun was asked in the mixed zone whether it was fair to categorize Jesus "Tecatito" Corona as a "crack". Layun said that was up for the people to decide, but looking at the community's player ratings, it's more than obvious the people agree he is in another level.</p>
<p>Tecatito came in as a first half substitute for the injured Javier Aquino, and it wasn't until the second half where he started showing off his magic, culminating in a sensational goal to win Mexico their group. In fact, if you haven't seen the goal here it is again. It was an absolute beauty from the FC Porto winger.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="es"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MEXvVEN?src=hash">#MEXvVEN</a>: 80'. GOLAZO del 'Tecatito' Corona para el empate de México. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UDCentenario?src=hash">#UDCentenario</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Copa100?src=hash">#Copa100</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CopaAmerica?src=hash">#CopaAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/8E9GfIspLj">https://t.co/8E9GfIspLj</a></p>
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivisionSports/status/742534130982735872">June 14, 2016</a>
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<p>Here are the ratings for the entire Monday night squad:</p>
<p><b>Jose de Jesus Corona:</b> 6.0<br><br><b>Paul Aguilar:</b> 5.2<br><br><b>Diego Reyes:</b> 5.2<br><b></b></p>
<p><b>Hector Moreno:</b> 6.3<br><br><b>Jorge Torres-Nilo:</b> 5<br><br><b>Hector Herrera: </b>6<br><b></b></p>
<p><b>Jesus Molina:</b> 5.2<br><b></b></p>
<p><b>Andres Guardado:</b> 6.5<br><br><b>Hirving Lozano:</b> 6.7<br><br><b>Oribe Peralta:</b> 5.4<br><br><b>Javier Aquino:</b> 4.4<br><br>Substitutes: <br><br><b>Jesus "Tecatito" Corona:</b> 7.9<br><br><b>Miguel Layun:</b> 6.9<br><b></b></p>
<p><b>Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez:</b> 6.2</p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/14/11936160/mexico-vs-venezuela-2016-copa-america-man-of-the-matchRafael Diaz2016-06-13T23:19:23-07:002016-06-13T23:19:23-07:00Mexico win group C in 1-1 draw with Venezuela
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Jesus "Tecatito" Corona scored a stunning goal as Mexico came from a goal down to win Group C of the Copa America Centenario with a 1-1 draw with Venezuela.</p>
<p>Ten minutes into the game and Venezuela earned themselves a free kick just outside of the box. The free kick flew into the box and bounced around before Jose Velazquez was able to score an absolutely stunning goal. As the ball rose through the air he leaped up to and scissor kicked the ball over the outstretched arms of Mexican keep Jesus Corona.</p>
<p>La Vinotinto dominated much of the early proceedings following the goal. However, as the match wore on Mexico began to grow into the game. Wing play by Jose Manuel "Tecatito" Corona and and Hirving "Chucky" Lozano opened the game up for Mexico and helped relieve some of the pressure on the shaky defense. Yet, Venezuela managed to hang on to their lead and headed into the locker room up a goal at the half.</p>
<p>The second half didn't really bring much improvement for Mexico. Sloppy passes and bad defending gave Venezuela several opportunities to extend their lead.</p>
<p>But as the second half wore on, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez was subbed into the game and Mexico began to play more direct. However, they were still unable to find an equalizer until Jesus Manuel "Tecatito" Corona shimmied and shook himself past five defenders and buried a shot into the back of the net with ten minutes remaining.</p>
<p>The goal was good enough to extend Mexico's unbeaten run and see them finish atop Group C.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sMekBfBX9lU" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/13/11928632/mexico-win-copa-america-group-behind-tecatito-golazo-in-1-1-draw-withZacharias Eduardo2016-06-13T19:35:29-07:002016-06-13T19:35:29-07:00Watch: Tecatito Corona scores stunning solo goal
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<figcaption>Scott Halleran/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jesus "Tecatito" Corona scored a goal that will go down as one of the Copa America Centenario's best. With the score at 1-0 in favor of Venezuela, the FC Porto winger took matters to his own hands and dribbled his way past several Venezuelan defenders before firing past Dani Hernandez to level the score.</p>
<p>Tecatito's goal was enough to ensure Mexico finished first in Group C of the Copa America Centenario and avoid a potential match-up with Lionel Messi and Argentina in the quarterfinals. What's more, his goal also made sure Juan Carlos Osorio remained unbeaten in front of El Tri since taking over for Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti in late 2015. The goal was also Tecatito's first of the Copa America.</p>
<p>El Tri will now travel to Santa Clara, California for a potential quarterfinal clash with Chile or Panama at Levi's Stadium.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tecatito's golazo, ladies and gentlemen. <a href="https://t.co/14jv5ap2rS">https://t.co/14jv5ap2rS</a></p>
— Mexicanfut (@mexicanfutcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/mexicanfutcom/status/742534835202203649">June 14, 2016</a>
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https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/13/11928584/watch-tecatito-corona-scores-stunning-solo-goal-to-earn-mexico-a-1-1Rafael Diaz2016-06-13T19:16:24-07:002016-06-13T19:16:24-07:00Choose your Mexico vs Venezuela man of the match
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Jesus "Tecatito" Corona scored one of the goals of the tournament as Mexico came from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw with Venezuela and win Group C of the Copa America Centenario.</p>
<p>Venezuela took an early lead through a golazo of their own when Jose Manuel Velazquez sent a stunning bicycle kick past Jose de Jesus Corona for the 1-0.</p>
<p>However, Miguel Layun's second half inclusion brought Mexico a much-needed lift from the flanks, and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona started showing his potential down the left wing.</p>
<p>With ten minutes to go in the match, it was Tecatito who stole the show with a magnificent equalizer. The FC Porto winger dribbled his way past several defenders a-la-Messi before firing past a hapless Dani Hernandez to earn Mexico a point.</p>
<p>That said, it shouldn't be too difficult to determine who Mexico's man of the match was, but it is always fun to see what the community thinks when it comes to the overall squad. Below you will find a form where you can vote.</p>
<p><iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" height="500" width="760" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hzrUbRnH8KcHOp_air8wdZFvF9XW4_bBHS8IMCAmktE/viewform?embedded=true"></iframe></p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/13/11928366/mexico-vs-venezuela-copa-america-2016-community-player-ratingsRafael Diaz2016-06-13T08:00:07-07:002016-06-13T08:00:07-07:00Mexico vs Venezuela, Copa America 2016 live stream
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>And so, the first objective is complete for Juan Carlos Osorio and the Mexico national team. After a 2-0 win over Jamaica, El Tri sealed their place in the quarterfinals of the Copa America Centenario. Now, Mexico will look to top Group C as they take on Venezuela at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.</p>
<p>Much of the work has already been done for El Tri and a draw would be enough for Mexico to clinch first place in the group. Venezuela, however, are on something of a fairy tale run. La Vinotinto opened their Copa America with a win over Jamaica and then shocked Uruguay to knock them out of the competition.</p>
<p>As such, Mexico should not expect an easy task against Venezuela. For the third game in a row, Juan Carlos Osorio is expected to rotate his squad and could be tempted to rest several of his starting players. The pitch will also play a factor after the conditions of the NRG Stadium field were less than appropriate for Saturday's Copa America game between Colombia and Costa Rica.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the return of Andres Guardado from suspension will be a welcomed boost for El Tri in this game and going forward. The Mexican captain was highly missed during Mexico's tame victory over the Reggae Boyz and we could see his return on Monday night.</p>
<p>Of course, the main concern for Mexico in this game is to avoid a potential quarterfinal matchup with Argentina. When Lionel Messi turns in the kind of performance we saw during Argentina's 5-0 thumping of Panama, there are only a few teams capable of matching up with La Albiceleste. Juan Carlos Osorio and Mexico will know that.</p>
<p><b>Match date/time:</b> Monday 8pm EST, 7pm local</p>
<p><b>Venue: </b>NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> Univision (US - Spanish), Univision Deportes Network (US- Spanish), Fox Sports 1 (US-English), Azteca 7 (Mexico), UnivisionTDN (Mexico), TDN (Mexico), Sky HD (Mexico), Canal 5 Televisa (Mexico)</p>
<p><b>Streaming:</b> <a href="http://www.univision.com/deportes/udn">Univision Deportes En Vivo</a>, <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">Fox Sports GO</a>, <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8075447-12449305-1450797821000" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">fuboTV</a> (Free trial + monthly subscription)</p>
<p><b>Radio</b>: Futbol de Primera</p>
<p><a href="http://livesoccertv.com"><i><b>Listings via LiveSoccerTV.com.</b></i></a></p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/13/11919674/mexico-venezuela-copa-america-2016-time-tv-schedule-watch-onlineRafael Diaz2016-06-12T20:00:02-07:002016-06-12T20:00:02-07:00Match Preview: Mexico vs. Venezuela
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<p>After a not-so-convincing win over Jamaica, Mexico is now in Houston, Texas where they are set to take on Venezuela on Monday night. Osorio's men enter the final match of the group stage looking to not only improve their play, but also lock up the top spot. A win or draw on Monday night for El Tri means they would finish in first place, presumably avoiding Argentina in the next stage. La Vinotinto, who is the revelation of Group C and quite possibly the tournament, has also won its first two matches and looks to continue their Cinderella run.</p>
<p>El Tri, although victorious over Jamaica, had a relatively sloppy game with poor decision-making and imprecise passing. Osorio will look to improve in all of those areas, and he will once again have the service of a key element of the team. Andres Guardado, who missed the match versus Jamaica after being expelled in the opening game, will be a welcomed addition to the midfield. Miguel Layun, who filled in for "El Principito", completed an adequate job, but Guardado's return will allow Osorio to use Layun in other areas of the pitch.</p>
<p>Osorio's lineups and formations are known to be unpredictable, yet he is not afraid to make adjustments when things are not going as planned. Against Jamaica, the issues with the lineup changes were magnified by the team's inability to be precise when they possessed the ball. Against Venezuela, Osorio will look to correct the team's deficiencies by way of changes in the lineup. However, it would not be unreasonable to think that Osorio will come out with the same formation he has used in the first two games (3-1-2-3-1). Given the correct lineup, this formation could easily be modified should he need to make a tactical adjustment like he did versus Jamaica when he went to a 4-3-3 after halftime.</p>
<p>Taking into consideration Osorio wants the team to play from the back, the backline and defensive midfielder will need modifications. Moreno, Araujo, and Corona were all imprecise on Thursday night and would have cost the team goals had it not been for Ochoa. Marquez' age becomes a factor when you ask him to play at midfielder for 90 minutes, and Diego Reyes has been nonexistent when asked to play there.</p>
<p>Assuming Osorio goes with a backline of three, since Araujo, Marquez, and Moreno played solidly together against Uruguay, he might return to them against Venezuela. Jesus Molina came on as a sub versus Jamaica at defensive midfielder and was stout, given the limited amount of time he was given. Giving Molina the opportunity from the beginning of the match could give Osorio the fluidity he is looking for in the midfield.</p>
<p>With Guardado back, I envision Osorio will likely play with a similar lineup from the midfield up as we saw versus Uruguay. Guardado would be paired with Layun, Herrera playing in front of them, Chicharito at striker, and Tecatito and Aquino on the wings. Notwithstanding any deviations to the lineup, Mexico needs to be precise with the ball as Venezuela will likely capitalize on any mistakes Mexico makes.</p>
<p>La Vinotinto have not had much success versus Mexico in the past, but they will attempt to stun their opponent and continue their surprising run. Venezuela came into the Copa with zero pressure and has exceeded any expectations anyone had. This lack of pressure has allowed the team to play loose, and their victory over Uruguay has given the team a sense of confidence. In their last two matches, Venezuela has shown that while they might not be the more talented side, they are efficient and will capitalize off of their opponent's mistakes.</p>
<p>El Tri must not only look to grab the top spot in Group C with a victory over Venezuela but must also do it convincingly. Winning all nine points in the group stage would be a clear statement to all of the opposition in the knockout stage of how dominant this team can be. Venezuela will not be an easy opponent and will try to win in order to avoid Argentina in the quarterfinals, but Mexico has the experience and talent to get a resounding victory Monday night.</p>
<p><b>LAST MEETING</b></p>
<p>Mexico 3-1 Venezuela - January 25, 2012 - International Friendly</p>
<p>Mexico defeated Venezuela, 3-1, in the same exact venue they will be playing in Monday night.</p>
<p><b>LIKELY LINE-UPS</b></p>
<p>Mexico (3-1-2-3-1) Corona; Moreno, Marquez, Araujo, Molina, Guardado, Layun, Herrera, Tecatito, Aquino, Chicharito.</p>
<p>Venezuela (4-2-3-1) Hernandez; Rosales, Angel, Vizcarrondo, Fletscher, Rincon, Figuera, Guerra, Martinez, Seijas, Rondon.</p>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/12/11916618/match-preview-mexico-vs-venezuelaRigo Ayala2016-06-12T19:27:28-07:002016-06-12T19:27:28-07:00Chicharito fanboys over JJ Watt of the Houston Texans<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/miseleccionmx/status/742168770672623616">Chicharito fanboys over JJ Watt of the Houston&nbsp;Texans</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Self-confessed JJ Watt fan, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez gets to meet the man himself ahead of Mexico's Copa America game against Venezuela.</p></p></div>
https://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2016/6/12/11917310/chicharito-fanboys-over-jj-watt-of-the-houston-texansRafael Diaz