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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2006 
No Shame In Mexico’s Game
 Armando Perez - soccer365.com
| | Tienda Futbol Mundial! |
If there were a prize for guts and grit, if there were a reward for toughing it out for 120 minutes, a mere recognition for not giving up against a superior opponent, then Mexico would surely get that award.
The Mexican national team played arguably their most inspired match since beating Iran way back on June 10th, a game it seemed was dedicated to Oswaldo Sanchez, who had just days ago suffered the loss of his father.
Much has been said, and surely more will be spoken, about Ricardo La Volpe’s decisions, starting nineteen-year-old Andrés Guardado and not playing forwards Guillermo Franco, and Omar Bravo, author of two goals in the competition.
I won’t say any more about that.
It’s hard to imagine the team having played much better had Bravo started or come in late, hard to imagine the team fighting any harder, giving any more for the game than they did Saturday night.
To the thousands of Mexican soccer fans in Germany, the millions around the world, a small few of who might cynically say that this is typical for Mexico, to only do well at home, I say continue to wear your green, red and white proudly, and defend your team to anyone who might say something derogatory, for, to use a burned out cliché: they left it all on the field.
All they had
El Tri gave Argentina, a team which at times in the first round looked indomitable—like they could score at will—nothing easy. Surely Argentina’s first goal was seen by all, as Mexico inadvertently helped them with it, as Borgetti fought bravely to head a ball out of the box, something you can never fault your best player for doing.
Time of possession was about even, which was superb against an Argentinean side that loves to keep the ball, and Mexico also had more shots on goal than their sky blue opponents.
But nobody will remember that.
Hopefully they’ll remember Rafael Marquez’s first World Cup goal. The defender gracefully slid into the ball off an exquisite corner early in the game for the unexpected lead, which gave Mexico a spring in their step and put Argentina on their heels seeing themselves behind for the first time in the tournament.
I’m sure every Mexican fan has pondered all the possible ‘what ifs’ in this game of inches and millimeters. If Borgetti doesn’t put his head on that one, if Argentina hadn’t scored …
We will henceforth refrain from pondering what might have been.
The best game
So far the Mexico versus Argentina match has been the best of this World Cup. Not only because it was the first game that couldn’t be tied, the one with the most goals this weekend (3), and the first to go to overtime. And the only second round game played by two proud teams that speak the same language.
It was also the first game that needed a superhuman effort to play, and the first ended by a stupendous superhuman goal.
Ricardo La Volpe probably won’t be around much longer, and Jared Borgetti could be on the sidelines wearing a suit, but there are a few players on this team who will be around for a trip to South Africa in four years. If that team plays with the heart and spirit that this team played with, Mexico will have much to cheer for in the future. |
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