The Mexican national team beat Peru 1-0 in a friendly duel in preparation for the World Cup in Qatar. And as is tradition, there were criticisms from different sectors, in the midst of a usual disagreement in recent years.
A solitary goal by ‘Chuky’ Lozano ensured a victory that had great merit, since the Mexicans had not beaten a Conmebol team since 2019. Still it wasn’t enough.
The team had serious problems to knock down an opponent that will not be in Qatar and that offered very little, which in any case was enough to make the World Cup players look bad, without offensive alternatives.
In his defense, Martino did not have Raúl Jiménez and Rogelio Funes Mori and the replacement, Henry Martín, was criticized for the low danger he generated and the lack of association at the start.
Critics also pointed to the poor performance of Luis Chávez and Carlos Rodríguez in midfield and the ineffectiveness of Roberto Alvarado and Hirving Lozano, the latter more prominent due to his refereeing demands than his dedication to the game, except for the goal. The DT tried several options with his changes but none that changed the landscape.
Right in the midst of these difficulties, Martino will meet Colombia this Tuesday, in Santa Clara (California), a team that has just beaten Guatemala 4-1 and has given good sensations in the debut of Argentine Néstor Lorenzo. Will there be vindication or will the crisis worsen? In Mexico, as happened to Juan Carlos Osorio in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, nonconformity always prevails.
