(Photo Courtesy of Mexsport)
PASADENA,Calif.- Mexico defeated New Zealand 2-0 in a friendly match held at the Rose Bowl, with over 90,000 spectators in attendance.
Javier Hernandez opened the scoring with his third goal in only three caps at the 53rd minute. Carlos Vela would follow as he weaved through five different New Zealand players to put Mexico up 2-0.
Numerous story lines consumed the match before kickoff. Cuahtemoc Blanco captained the Mexican team replacing Rafael Marquez, who did not play for Barcelona last Sunday. Giovanni Dos Santos along with Jonathan Dos Santos became the 9th pair of brothers to play for the Mexican National Team at the same time.
Yet the biggest story of the night was Javier Hernandez’s scoring streak that has a tally of 3 goals in his last two games for Mexico.
Mexico utilized a traditional 4-4-2 lineup that consisted of Luis Michel as keeper, Rafael Marquez, Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio, and Efrain Juarez in the back line. Jonathan Dos Santos, Giovanni Dos Santos, Cuahtemoc Blanco, Andres Guardado, Aldo De Nigris and Gerardo Torrado were in charge of the creativity that did not exist in the first half.
New Zealand utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation in which six of their regular players were missing due to injury. Glen Moss protected the three post for New Zealand as Ben Sigmund, Tony Lochhead, Tommy Smith and Andrew Boyens consisted as the back line. Leo Bertos, Tim Brown, Simon Elliot, Chad Coombes, Christopher Killen and Shane Smeltz attempted to breach a defense that was untested throughout the night.
The game got off to a shaky start for Tim Brown as he received a yellow card in the second minute for a foul on Torrado resulting in a free kick.
The first corner of the game belonged to New Zealand as Andrew Boyens’s header went wide in the fourth minute.
Torrado gave Mexico their first shot at goal with an attempt that went over the post in the seventh minute. Efrain Juarez the man of the half began one of his many runs into the New Zealand box and shot right at their keeper Glenn Moss. Moss would face another shot in the 15th minute from Giovanni Dos Santos that went wide left of the post. New Zealand had a shot on goal in the 18th minute as Andy Boyens shot at the left post forcing Michel into one of his few saves of the night. Moss was not as lucky as he got a scare from G. Dos Santos who sent a volley into the heavens after a disastrous attempt at shot on goal.
Giovanni’s younger brother Jonathan would get in on the action in the 26th minute as his shot on goal was low but wide to the left of the keeper Moss. The next shot on goal was also from J. Dos Santos who took a corner on the volley and smashed the upper post in what was the clearest shot for Mexico to take the lead. Efrain Juarez was the most creative man on the pitch; he could be found on either ends as he defended and took a few balls to the All White touchline.
The last two minutes consisted of wasted opportunities for Mexico and G. Dos Santos who once again sent the ball into the heavens and wide left of the All White goal.
The second half saw four changes for Mexico as Juarez; Torrado, de Nigris and Blanco came off for Francisco Rodriguez, Hector Moreno, Javier Hernandez, and Carlos Vela.
Mexico wasted little time as they took a corner in the 46th minute only to have Moreno send his header wide. Yet the fresh legs would play a role in the first goal that came at the 53rd minute. Salcido flew down the flank and sent a cross to Javier Hernandez who was waiting between two defenders to score his third goal in two matches for Mexico.
New Zealand decided to make changes at the 54th minute as Chad Coombes and Chris Killen came off for Michael McGlinchey and Roy Fallon.
The substitutions did not help as Mexico continued to bombard the All White defense and Moss with a shot by Guardado at the 56thminute that went off target. Vela would not miss his shot as he weaved through five players winning the ball in a physical encounter and tucking in the second goal at the 57th minute with pure skill and class. Mexico would utilize their final substitutions in the 61stminute as Guardado and J. Dos Santos came off for Braulio Luna and Israel Castro.
The pace of the match decreased and the next shot on goal came in the 77th minute as Hernandez shot at Moss who had a long night under the three post. New Zealand would make two more substitutions at the 79th minute to keep the score at 2-0. Shane Smeltz and Tim Brown came off for Andy Barron and Chris Woods.
The biggest scare of the night occurred in the 81stminute as Carlos Vela left the pitch with what appeared to be a muscle strain that required ice. Mexico would play the remainder of the game with only 10 players.
The final yellow card of the game came in the 81st minute as Tony Lochhead fouled Osorio from behind also resulting in a free kick. Luna crossed the ball into the first pole in which Rodriguez sent a header just over the bar. The second half ended with another defender at the heart of the creativity in Osorio that ran the flanks numerous times.
Mexico again attempted to score in the final two minutes of regulation as a corner kick from Luna to Marquez ended in a misguided header. Israel Castro had the last shot of the night which was cleared by the All White defense.
Mexico improves to 2-0-0 in 2010 and face North Korea in Torreon, Mexico on March 17. New Zealand is 0-0-1 and will play Honduras April 4.
