Given Argentina’s loss earlier in the day in Group C competition at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mexico entered its game against Poland understanding how huge a victory and three points would be toward its advancement to the knockout stage for an eighth consecutive World Cup.
El Tri tried, but could not produce the game-winning goal. Or any goal.
On a night in Qatar when they dominated possession — with 61 percent of the ball, a five-shot advantage and 408 completed passes — Mexico could not find a way to manufacture a goal that would have won the game.
The 0-0 tie leaves them tied with Poland in second place in the group — behind Saudi Arabia, which probably would like to call a halt to the group stage and move on to the Round of 16 immediately.
Here’s a full rundown of each Mexico player’s performance:
DECOURCY: How Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia
Mexico World Cup player ratings
Chucky Lozano (forward): 6
It could be viewed as a typical Chucky game: always available, always threatening, frequently on the ball but too rarely producing that elusive moment of true brilliance. There was a sweet flick from the top of the box to Jorge Sanchez that earned a corner in the 51st minute. Whether playing on the right, his customary station, or switching over to the left, Lozano had plenty of the ball and certainly played a role, in that way, to limit Poland’s chances. And he did cover ground, including a circumstance in the 42nd minute when he ran down Nikola Zalewski and tackled the ball away from him. But where was the true danger? If the grade seems harsh, consider it to be on a curve. To win this game, Mexico needed more from its best player.
MORE: Why do they call Hirving Lozano “Chucky”?
Henry Martin (striker): 6
For 45 minutes it seemed he wasn’t even in the game. Maybe he heard about that at halftime, because he was electric in the second half before being subbed out. On a corner kick in the 52nd minute, he forced Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to make a strong punch save with a courageous effort at a header. On a shot by Edson Alvarez from outside the box, Martin probably came closer to scoring the game’s only goal by redirecting the ball with his head and demanding another Szczesny save. Given how little his replacement did, and how well Martin did during his second half, he probably should have remained a least a while longer.
Alexis Vega (forward): 7
It was impossible not to love his activity and intensity playing mostly on the left wing, switching sides with Chucky Lozano on a few occasions. He fought for scoring opportunities, including in the 27th minute when he was well defended and still got his head on the ball and knocked it just wide. There were several misspent chances, though, including a volley in the 44th minute he could have brought down with space around him, and a hard strike in the 80th off a quick throw-in that could have been indefensible if he’d put some bend on it.
Luis Chavez (midfielder): 6.5
Chavez was rock-solid in his midfield role, completing 42 of 47 passes, launching eight crosses and completing 6-of-7 long balls. One of those became his best moment, in the 28th minute, when he launched it forward for Jesus Gallardo, but the keeper intervened.
MORE: Mexico’s World Cup fixtures and potential knockout round path
Edson Alvarez (midfielder): 7
One’s achievements in certain roles and positions can be measured as much by what doesn’t happen as what does. Alvarez played a defensive midfield role to deal with the counters upon which Poland was dependent to generate its attack. And did you see any such threats? Well, maybe a few, but never anything significant. He even did his best to create offensive opportunities, including the shot that Martin nearly turned into a goal. He lost possession a few too many times, but his heat map showed he was a wall against Poland incursions into the half Mexico was defending.
Hector Herrera (midfielder): 6
Herrera played the first half like a guy who knew he would not be going the full 90. He was an energetic terror for the first 35 minutes, a constant threat in and around the box. He presented the threatening cross that Vega nearly headed home. Herrera completed 26 of his 32 passes and won four of five aerial duels. It probably would have helped for him to come off sooner than the 71st minute and be replaced by someone with more left to spend.
Jesus Gallardo (left back): 6.5
It’s a measure of how effective Gallardo was that even though the Mexico attack was understandably weighted more toward the right side, where Lozano was positioned, Gallardo managed to attempt and complete more passes than his counterpart on Lozano’s flank. He made a beautiful run in the 28th minute and might have created a scoring chance on a long ball played in his direction, but the keeper intervened and he couldn’t get onto it. He had excellent positioning on a 14th minute long-ball that could have been dangerous and headed it clear.
Hector Moreno (central defender) 7.5
He just about placed the ball in his own goal by grabbing the jersey of Poland superstar Robert Lewandowski as they fought to reach a ball rolling in the box. Each had hands on the other, and that might have been allowed if Moreno had not seen the need to get a fistful of Poland kit. It was unmistakable, and the penalty was granted on video review. His goalkeeper rescued him there, on the penalty kick that was awarded. And then Moreno returned the favor by sprinting hard in transition in the 74th minute and sliding in to knock a dangerous cross over the end line for a Poland corner kick that came to nothing. Moreno came closer to scoring than some of the Mexico players whose duty it is to do just that, getting his head on a cross in the 12th minute but not squarely enough to direct it on goal.
Cesar Montes (central defender): 8
He had a far quieter game than his partner in central defense. Montes headed away an opportunity for Poland to score in the 8th minute, clashing heads with big defender Kamil Glick. That was one of four clearances on the night. He simply did his job. Did you hear much of Lewandowski? No. That’s why Montes gets a big score and Moreno’s would have been even greater had he not committed the penalty.
Jorge Sanchez (right back): 4
It was a weird game for Sanchez. He combined often with Lozano on the right, but he consistently was in trouble, mostly of his own making. In the 16th minute, a beautiful combo move in the midfield resulted in a ball sent forward his way, but what should have become a chance was blown by his too-heavy touch. He got the ball plucked from him a minute later by Zalewski, which could have been dangerous. Sanchez wasted a yellow card with a needless foul in the 29th minute. He did a nice job blocking a cross in the 67th minute, which created a forward move for Mexico, but there were too few such moments.
Guillermo Ochoa (goalkeeper): 10
With the way the game developed, he was given one job: save a penalty from the great Lewandowski.
And it was nearly an impossible job. No keeper in international play had done this against Poland’s titan.
And Memo did it.
Substitutes
Carlos Rodriguez (midfielder): 4
Given how little he accomplished after replacing Herrera, it may be understandable why Tata Martino stuck with his starters for so long. He turned over the ball almost immediately after entering, one of four charged against him in an outing that lasted fewer than 20 minutes.
Raul Jimenez (striker): 3
He hadn’t played for months because of an injury, save for 45 minutes in a pre-Cup friendly against Sweden, and it was obvious. His one contribution was a headed clearance at the near post on a Poland corner kick. He later had a chance in transition to create an opportunity, but he got little support, had to take on multiple defenders and fumbled away possession.
Uriel Antuna (forward): 3
In 14 minutes, he only managed seven touches and competed three passes. Given how dynamic Vega had been, it became a clear deceleration at that position.
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