The tribute was for Guillermo Ochoa, but the night ended up serving as a stark reminder of the Mexican national team’s current struggles. At the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, during the “Thank You, Memo” ceremony—which included videos from fans and the lighting of the Olympic torch—Mexico lost 2-0 to Chile in the final match of the FIFA international break.
As ClaroSports reported in its preview, El Tri wrapped up its first four-game series under Rafael Márquez against Chile, with two draws and one loss. The final tally was even worse: 1-1 draws against Colombia and Peru, a 3-0 loss to the United States on Saturday, and a 2-0 defeat to Chile, as detailed by Reuters.
Márquez fielded a starting lineup with several new faces, as confirmed by ClaroSports: Alex Padilla; Dagoberto Espinoza, Israel Reyes, Everardo López, Jesús Gallardo; Álvaro Fidalgo, Erik Lira, Obed Vargas; Roberto Alvarado, Armando “Hormiga” González, and Germán Berterame.
The first half was evenly matched, with saves on both sides. As described by Reuters, Mexico threatened in the 5th minute with a shot by Jesús Gallardo that was deflected by Chilean goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, and Chile responded in the 11th minute with a shot by Gonzalo Tapia that was saved by Padilla. Vigouroux made two more saves—one in the 32nd minute against Roberto Alvarado and another in the 48th minute against Obed Vargas.
The collapse came in the second half. In the 54th minute, Maximiliano Gutiérrez broke away on a run following a pass from Tapia and finished with his right foot past Padilla to make it 1-0, according to Reuters. ClaroSports reported that Gutiérrez beat Israel Reyes and slotted the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs.
Márquez tried to turn things around with five substitutions in the 64th minute, but the move threw the team off balance. In the 65th minute, Vicente Pizarro capitalized on a mistake by Johan Vásquez, who failed to intercept a pass from Darío Osorio, and finished with his left foot to make it 2-0, according to Reuters. ADN Radio noted that Osorio set up Pizarro after winning the ball high up the field and making a good individual move.
Mexico tried to make a comeback with the substitutions of Santiago Giménez, Isaías Violante, and Jorge Sánchez, but as ClaroSports reported, the changes did not translate into clear scoring chances. Chile even came close to scoring a third goal in the 89th minute with Ben Brereton Díaz.
The most concerning aspect is not just the score, but the lack of goals and creativity. During the tour, the only goals came from Gilberto Mora against Colombia—the youngest player to score for the senior national team—and from Víctor Guzmán against Peru, as ClaroSports noted. Without the injured Mora, Julián Quiñones, or Raúl Jiménez, El Tri ran out of firepower.
The tribute to Ochoa—41 years old and a six-time World Cup veteran—deserved to be a celebration. Instead, it ended with the uncomfortable memory of the 7-0 loss in 2016 to the same opponent and with a team that, in four matches under Márquez, has yet to taste victory. In November, against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League, the team will have to show more than just good intentions.
Match Details:
Mexico 0-2 Chile. Goals: Maximiliano Gutiérrez 54’, Vicente Pizarro 65’.
Stadium: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles.
Mexico lineup: Alex Padilla; Dagoberto Espinoza, Israel Reyes, Everardo López, Jesús Gallardo; Álvaro Fidalgo, Erik Lira, Obed Vargas; Roberto Alvarado, Armando González, Germán Berterame. Head Coach: Rafael Márquez.
