The first of Mexico’s 2 tune up friendly games is in the books, and ultimately the game should serve to build the team’s confidence heading into the World Cup. None of the players on “El Tri” that are playing for European clubs were able to take part in this game. This opened up opportunities for Liga MX players to showcase their talents, potentially one last time! Who were the biggest winners of the match, and which players can kiss their hopes of starring in Qatar goodbye?
Funes Mori Was Perhaps The Biggest Winner Of The Night
Funes Mori was able to find the back of the net on virtually the first ball that he touched in the game. From there he was able to be that effective post player that Martino is looking for at the number 9 spot. Besides his good play on the field what may have helped him even more was the fact that Henry Martin looked out of sync in the entire first half.
"Funes Mori":
— ¿Por qué es Tendencia? (@porktendencia) November 9, 2022
Porque anotó el segundo gol de @miseleccionmx ante #Irak pic.twitter.com/MkHuck6YN2
Gallardo Potentially Cemented His Place In The Team
Coming into the tournament there are very few players on the Mexico team that have been under as much scrutiny as Gallardo has. He has again proved though that as an offensive piece he can be a determining factor. It’s his cross that Alexis Vega gets on the end of, to score the first goal of the match. Then he would find the back of the net on a defensive error followed by quite an impressive finish.
¡Zurdazo y gol de Jesús Gallardo! 💙🇲🇽
— Rayados (@Rayados) November 9, 2022
¡Viene lo mejor! 🔥👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/2LWup5Vjka
Antuna Proved That He Can Be A Reliable Spark For The Squad
Roberto Alvarado generated almost 0 offense in his time on that right wing. Uriel Antuna found Funes Mori on the first play of the second half for the second goal of the match. He then would go on to have a shot on goal of his own. The speed he brings to the table can be a great asset to the Mexican team particularly in the second half of games.
Roberto Alvarado Was Amongst The Losers
Alvarado got a ton of chances to prove his worth in this game, and the fact is he’s just not as dynamic as Antuna or offensive minded as Alexis Vega. The big problem for Alvarado is that he’s not good enough to start for the team, and he’s not necessarily the type of player that can provide a spark off the bench. Something that was on full display from Antuna, and also Lainez has proven that he can provide when he comes off the bench.
It would seem odd that Martino would ultimately end up cutting Alvarado after giving him so many minutes in this first game. If he comes to the realization that we just pointed out where Roberto is not a player that can necessarily provide that spark he could get leapfrogged by Lainez, and get sent back home. That’s something that we’re going to be keeping an eye on from now until Monday which is the day that Tata Martino will announce his final roster cuts.
Luis Romo & Erick Sanchez Didn’t Help Their Case
Erick Sanchez did have some moments in that midfield where he was able to showcase that change of pace that he has, but really it didn’t amount to much. For his part Luis Romo was literally walking on the field at different points during the game. These two players are competing with a ton of others for very few spots in the Mexican midfield. So they both could be on the chopping block. Sanchez was more of a victim of the circumstances whereas Romo’s effort was just disheartening to see. He didn’t look like a player who was fighting for a roster spot. That could come back to haunt him on Monday.
