Mexico Gets Tie With Argentina
The friendly match was only 11 minutes old and already Ricardo Lavolpe was puffing away nervously on a cigarette, a solitary figure on the end of the Mexico bench at the Coliseum.
After all, it was in this same stadium and against the same team that Lavolpe, the Argentina-born coach of the Mexican national team, made his debut on Feb. 4, 2003 ... and lost.
Wednesday night brought the same ingredients, Mexico, ranked sixth in the latest FIFA world rankings, bringing essentially its first team -- minus forward Jared Borgetti, the team’s leading scorer with 10 points in World Cup qualifying who stayed home to rest after a rough week of club play with Pachuca -- and No. 3-ranked Argentina fielding a “B” team.
This time, however, Mexico outplayed Argentina but could only muster a 1-1 tie. And Argentina was responsible for both goals.
Argentina, though, was the aggressor, getting hit with two yellow cards. Scattershot Argentina also outshot Mexico, 12-11, and committed more fouls, 15-10.
Still, the result for Los Tricolores in front of a heavily pro-Mexican crowd of 51,345 was better than the 1-0 Argentina victory two years ago.
And the Mexicans had to be aware of what was going on in Fullerton, where their next opponent, the U.S, was busy beating up on Colombia, 3-0. Mexico plays host to the U.S. in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on March 27 in a World Cup qualifier.
Mexico got on the board first, in the 23rd minute, on an own goal by Argentina.
With Mexican midfielder Ramon Morales sending a cross into the box from the left wing, Argentina defender Fabricio Fuentes attempted to deflect it, but he got caught in an awkward motion that ended with him deflecting the ball past goalkeeper German Lux and into the net.
Mexico nearly went up 2-0 in the 31st minute, but midfielder Pavel Pardo’s blast from the right wing was deflected away at the last moment by a diving Lux.
Argentina tied the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute.
Forward Rodrigo Palacio and midfielder Rolando Zarate played a give-and-go in the box to perfection, Zarate blasting his right-footed shot past Mexico’s surprised goalkeeper, Oscar Perez, and elating the small group of blue-clad fans, which was dwarfed by the green of Mexico’s supporters.
