Mexico’s ‘Chucky’ Lozano steps up with late winner vs. Peru to present El Tri pre-World Cup enhance
PASADENA, Calif. — For just a little over 80 minutes on Saturday night time towards Peru, it regarded as if a darkish interval for Mexico‘s males’s nationwide crew would prolong one recreation additional as they strategy the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Earlier than kicking off the weekend’s pleasant on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Mexico had one win of their final 5 video games, which constructed extra pressure for supervisor Gerardo “Tata” Martino and his aspect after a questionable run by World Cup qualifying and poor pleasant outcomes earlier this yr.
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Throughout a media day on Tuesday, themes of fan discontent, damage issues and management points surrounded the nationwide crew. Martino regarded pissed off behind the microphone on the media day, admitting that Mexico have not performed their greatest soccer since 2019-20, whereas additionally itemizing accidents for key gamers like Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez, Houston Dynamo DP Hector Herrera, Ajax‘s Jorge Sanchez and Monterrey duo Rogelio Funes Mori and Luis Romo. Sevilla‘s Jesus “Tecatito” Corona, arguably El Tri‘s high participant, was additionally unavailable within the worldwide break after struggling a leg damage this summer time that can seemingly hold him out of the World Cup.
Off the sphere, the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) has handled a chaotic time of its personal. Coupled with issues within the ladies’s nationwide crew and at youth degree, FMF president Mikel Arriola introduced sweeping adjustments in July. Gerardo Torrado and Ignacio Hierro had been respectively fired as normal sporting director and sporting director of nationwide groups. Luis Perez was additionally let go as the lads’s U20 coach. Ladies’s senior coach Monica Vergara would finally lose her place as effectively.
Martino held on to his put up, regardless of failing to win the most recent CONCACAF Nations League, the 2021 Gold Cup and going by 4 consecutive video games with out a victory towards El Tri‘s U.S. males’s nationwide crew rivals. Rumors of his doable exit from the FMF after the World Cup have led to a disharmonious and doubtlessly cataclysmic finish to 2022, however again on the sphere at Pasadena this weekend, a glimmer of hope emerged for all concerned.
¡Gooooooooool de @miseleccionmx! 🔥🥵
Eeeeel Chuuucky Lozaaaaaano… ¡Aparece Hirving y la manda a guardar! Lo está ganando México. 😎
🇲🇽 1-0 🇵🇪#CaminoAQatar | #HechoDeLosMexicanos | #ArribaPerú
🔴 EN VIVO
📺 TUDN y @univision
📱👉 https://t.co/AnPeBomrSa pic.twitter.com/Ps8iDC9NQs— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) September 25, 2022
In entrance of a raucous 62,729 on the Rose Bowl on Saturday, El Tri finally regarded enlivened after a uninteresting begin to the sport by second-half substitutions for Uriel Antuna, Santiago Gimenez, Andres Guardado and Orbelin Pineda. Presumably on account of desperation in altering the script that appeared pessimistic as soon as once more, there was glorious motion and playmaking within the ultimate third that helped result in a decisive nook within the eighty fifth minute, which offered star winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano with a objective that despatched the Rose Bowl right into a frenzy. and secured a 1-0 win.
The 27-year-old did effectively to guide attacking efforts, and finally discovered the game-winner late into the second half. Lozano was emotional after scoring his first objective in 2022 for Mexico, whereas followers sang his identify to the standard tune of “Seven Nation Military.” Chants of “El Chu-cky Lo-za-no” had been by far the loudest that they have been heard in years, joyous within the belief that the Napoli participant had created a vital step ahead in Mexican soccer.
Confidence at an all-game excessive, it was simple to overlook about any of the issues El Tri has had on or off the sphere. The Rose Bowl grew to become a celebration, and in contrast to the dire scenes which have change into the norm at many Mexico matches, there was elation of their first of two World Cup “sendoff” video games this month in California that resulted in a 1-0 victory.
“A victory is all the time vital, and much more so towards such a troublesome crew,” Lozano stated to TUDN after scoring the game-winner. “I feel they made the match very powerful for us.”
Even the usually severe and drained Martino was beaming after the sport, understanding not simply that Mexico had earned a significant outcome, however that additionally he may have an sudden chief by Lozano.
“After so a few years in Europe, clearly, it makes a footballer evolve in each manner,” a proud Martino stated in regards to the Napoli winger after the match. “It is clear that he’s evolving, not solely within the soccer half, but in addition within the skilled half and within the human half.”
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It wasn’t nearly Chucky, however about your entire squad as they celebrated the objective. By a launch of pressure, El Tri desperately wanted this outcome forward of the World Cup and above the criticism that has been positioned upon them since struggling to recreate the magic of Martino’s first couple of years in 2019 and 2020. Within the postmatch information convention, Martino famous that the crew is “way more related” to the one which reached a perceived peak a pair years in the past.
It is questionable to purchase into the concept that Mexico are actually turning issues round after quite a few head-scratching performances over the past a number of months, but when they claimed one other victory this Tuesday towards Colombia at Santa Clara‘s Levi’s Stadium (which might mark simply their second consecutive victory this yr), there can be hope that Mexico’s ultimate two pre-World Cup friendlies may propel the crew in the direction of better issues at Qatar this November.
The thought of gradual adjustments and last-minute lengthy pictures is likely to be unrealistic for his or her World Cup possibilities, however the identical may very well be stated of Lozano’s lone try again in 2018 that shocked Germany in a 1-0 defeat throughout the World Cup.
No matter damage issues throughout the squad and points behind the scenes throughout the entrance workplace, Mexico can proceed making small steps ahead this month, with the assistance of an unlikely chief in Lozano and with the desires of larger and distinguished steps this November.
