Mexico 0 – Ecuador 0

Goalscorers:

Mexico:

Ecuador:

A contest match where Mexico needed to win to advance to the next round ended with a goalless draw. This is a perfect summary of what is happening to the Mexican national team, where the money and fans are there to grow the sport, but the talent pool selection and staff do not align to make it happen.

Weirdly, not a single goal was scored. The game was very direct; both teams wanted to play in transition and take many risks. Many Ecuadorians don’t really like Félix Sánchez Bas despite the good results, and I think it is because he lacks a certain understanding in the culture over South America football. Ecuador needs a draw to advance, and its good that Ecuador tried to be brave and go for the win, but why taking so many risks and not taking advantages of your position to frustrate Mexico? Ecuador led Mexico to be very direct; their backline was exposed, and many times, Santi was on part with the center backs, leaving so much space for the winger, especially Huerta, to run down the line and cross.

Just one mistake, and Mexico score. Then it will be more difficult to regain control over the game. Luckily for Ecuador, Félix Torres and Willian Pacho were massives. They help each other and were fantastic in all defensive coverages. Piero Hincapié was erratic and lost many balls which Mexico counterattacked. However, Mexico could not take advantage of those counterattack. And it’s time to talk about Santi Giménez. He clearly put in the effort, made runs, and is a fantastic player, but yet again, he was not found in the penalty box. He lacks the fineness in the ball, and fail impose himself in the duels, missing the few chances he had. Mexico did not attack very well, they gamble with quantity over quality, but you need to demand more from him.

I think Lozano and Félix were late on the subs and did not help their team change the game. Mexico was all over the place; they did not have any plan whatsoever in the final third and were mostly crosses and set pieces when they threatened Ecuador. Meanwhile, Ecuador did not defend well and depended on individual brilliance in their defense. Their pressure was not organized, and leave a lot of space behind their back. They did not even counterattack well, the decision making from their attackers were awful considering the good positions they were in.

From the neutral point of view, it was a good match with drama, energy, and many 50/50 calls; I didn’t think any penalty was clear but in the era of VAR, who knows?
Nevertheless, think any team who play this match is goint to face Argentina. It is easy to predic that Argentina is already on the Semi-finals. Both teams show resistance, but they are far from that level yet.

Mexico has problems beyond what was shown in this or the World Cup. They should concerned about its infrastructure, how to manage the national team, what needs a change, and what needs a restart to solve the problem.
Mexico’s players do not have the level to compete against powerhouses. Still, Mexico has just been eliminated from a group without powerhouses.

In Ecuador’s case, the talent on the team is clear. Many players also came from a good season but are missing a clear vision. Sometimes, one wonders what the team is trying to play; they go to extremes—very defensive or attack, no matter what. It is also important to remember how young this generation is. They will eventually learn how to control the game and when they need to be more patient or speed up the game.
In any case, Ecuador will face Argentina on the 4th of July. A huge test for them.

Jamaica 0 – Venezuela 3

Goalscorers:

Jamaica:

Venezuela: Eduard Bello 49′, Salomón Rondón 56′, Eric Ramírez 85′

Not many people saw this group and confidently said, “Yes, Venezuela will win this group.”
However, here we are. Venezuela grabbed nine points and showed an excellent performance in all three games. They had many phases through the tournament: when they had more possession and attacked a low block like Ecuador, counterattacking and defending in a mid-block like in the game with Mexico, and this one where they mixed the two approaches, being very direct and counterattacking but defending themselves with the ball. The team was dynamic, and the flanks were a threat because Alexander González and Jon Aramburu joined the attack and overlapped their winger.

Of course, you can make a case for Jamaica being the worst or second-worst team in the tournament. They were only passive defenders, and when they had the ball, they had no idea what to do with it.
Unsurprisingly, they were already eliminated, and many players have demanded more from the conferences. Leon Bailey has talked about the lack of professionalism, and it’s challenging to perform when the situation is this tense.

But let’s not take any from Venezuela; with a team with new faces in this third game, they also show they can play without their main starters.

But let’s not take any from Venezuela; with a team with new faces in this third game, they also show they can play without their main starters.
They were confident, trying long shots, quickly attacking the space, and making long sequences of passes.
Having someone as strong and smart as Salomón Rondón to win the duels against centrebacks is key. It gives the players on the flanks more freedom and space to attack the front of the box. And he is a nightmare to defend all around.

They will face Canada on the 5th of July, another quick and strong team. Both attack the sides rather than the middle, so it will be interesting to see how they counter each other.