Mexico Vs. Germany Post-match Analysis

It was a euphoric night in Philadelphia at the Lincoln Financial Stadium as Mexico took on Germany in a thrilling tie, ending in two goals apiece. Mexico demonstrated their tenacity as they went up against a world power house in football; Germany. The encounter was a tough one as Mexico found itself up against the ropes for large periods of time in the match. In stark contrast to the way they play against Concacaf opposition, Mexico was forced by the Germans to remain compact in their own half defending for their lives. The electrifying bout between these two international football teams captivated many in a showcase of great football.

Mexico went down early from a well worked German set piece, as Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger put away the first goal of the night in the 25th minute. Mexico was able to rally in the 37th minute, when Irving Lozano made the most from a long ball by stretching the German defense, and providing an assist to fellow winger Uriel Antuna. Antuna slotted away Mexico’s first goal of the night, vanquishing German goalkeeper Andre Ter Stegen with a one touch finish. Mexico would go on to turn things around at the 47th minute mark in dramatic fashion, as an Antuna cross from a counter attack found the head of Erick ‘El Chiquito’ Sanchez to score the second goal for Mexico, giving them the lead. The sequence for Mexico’s second goal was stranger than fiction as Sanchez, standing at five foot six inches, beat his German mark Niklas Sule, the tallest player on the field at six foot five inches. The crowd erupted into cheers as the Pachuca midfielder celebrated his outstanding and incredibly unlikely goal. Germany would go on to demonstrate their quality with the equalizer in the 51st minute, as a header from German player Florian Wirtz was initially blocked by Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. The rebound of the header would fortuitously fall near German striker Niclas Fullkrug, who confidently put the ball away to level the game.

The match would end in a 2:2 draw, but it was a spectacular game for the fans and neutrals. The match was open for large periods of time, with either one of the two teams seeming capable of seizing victory. There was an intensity from both sides that made this match seem more than just a friendly. Things got heated in the second half, as a pair of fouls saw Mexican Midfielder Edson Alvarez and German left midfielder Robin Gosen receive yellow cards for harsh tackles on one another. Germany would dominate the ball with sixty eight percent of the possession, while Mexico only had a mere thirty two percent. Mexico made the most of the ball when they had it by using their speedy wingers to launch dangerous counter attacks. Germany’s possession game would often leave them vulnerable to the counter because they would commit numbers forward, and Mexican players like Lozano or Antuna successfully exploited the space left in their wake. Mexico exhibited their tenacity in defense by absorbing most of what the Germans dished out. Mexico also demonstrated their attacking prowess by successfully breaking down a team with the quality of the four-time world cup champions.

Mexican coach Jaime Lozano got his tactics right. Lozano deviated from the 4-3-3 formation Mexico is used to playing, opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation instead. The change in formation allowed for a double pivot of two central defensive midfielders, Luis Romo and Edson Alvarez. This dynamic duo spent the majority of the game marauding the field and cutting passing lanes. In the central attacking midfielder role, Lozano opted for Erick Sanchez who pressed the German team throughout the match and got a goal from a deep run on a counter attack. Lozano’s backline choice looked great in this match. Cesar Montes/Johan Vasquez looked comfortable with one another as the center back pairing, while Jesus Gallardo and Jorge Sanchez proved to be good two-way players in their respective left/right back positions. The Mexican coach started what many believe to be their best attacking trident with Irving Lozano at left wing, Uriel Antuna at right wing, and Santi Gimenez as the lone striker. All three of the Mexican attackers brought with them a speed that had the German defense thinking twice before venturing forward. The attacking trio seemed to have a good understanding with one another, especially in the first goal for Mexico, where the wingers connected with one another and Santi dragged away a defender. Santi Gimenez missed a sitter, squandered a pair of chances that could have changed the game, but he looks dangerous and he is young. Coach Lozano, as well as many fans look at what Santi can become and seek to nurture this young talent, so that he can grow to possibly be Mexico’s first world class player in a long time. When Jaime Lozano brought on Sebastian Cordova and Cesar Huerta late in the game, it looked as if Mexico might even go on to win this bout. As good as they looked, in the dying embers of the match Mexico was unable to put away their chances and was forced to settle for the draw. All in all, Coach Jaime Lozano made all the right moves.

With the draw versus Germany and the win against Ghana, Mexico comes away from this international window building up their stock. Coach Jimmy Lozano got some much-needed equity as the Mexican national team coach, placating even some of his fiercest detractors. The Lambor-Jimmy seems to be firing on all cylinders in what appears to be the beginning of a new chapter of Mexican football. With this draw, some Mexican fans will dare to believe that El Tri’s slump is over, and look at next year’s Copa America with some semblance of hope.