Mexico vs. New Zealand: Results and analysis
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The fourth match of Group A was exciting and stressful. A less than stellar Tricolor was put to work by a resilient New Zealand team.
The refereeing was horrible
Thus far, the refereeing in this tournament has been good. The adjustment to the VAR is still there; but it’s fine. That was no excuse for Bakary Gassama to botch his role at the end. A small fight broke out after a foul by Diego Reyes. Diego Reyes, Hector Herrera, and Rafa Márquez were three of the culprits. At least two red cards should have been given. Instead, the ref relied on the VAR to book Reyes and Herrera.
Where was Giovanni dos Santos?
That’s right. One of Mexico’s best of attacking players were nearly nonexistent. His marking and timing were completely off. He wasn’t strong on possession and passing. In addition, he literally had no shots. Easily, he was the least productive player on the whole field.
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Mexico was overconfident
The last time that el Tri faced the All Whites was in a two-legged playoff match to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Mexico made quick work of New Zealand (9-3 aggregate). Today, New Zealand was far from being a pushover. They were so tough that Mexico played sloppier with each passing minute out of desperation. The watertight defense held off the Mexico offense for the majority of the match. New Zealand capitalized on this by scoring an amazing goal.
New Zealand could have won
From beginning to end, New Zealand was the better team. Sure, with 34.6% possession, who can possibly win a match against an elite team? It was possible, due to their constant pressure on the Mexican defense. They main the best of whatever chances that got. What really stopped New Zealand was Mexico’s goalie, Alfredo Talavera.
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