El Salvador v. Mexico 2-1 6/Jun/09

With four qualified sides, plus the home guest, the World Cup Qualifiers threw amazing results abroad: England trashing Kazachstan, Brazil returning to their hold ways against Uruguay, and perhaps the least (to some) and most expected with De Los Cobos' team finishing Mexico.
Although it is obvious, not by this game but by his statistics and history as national coach, that Javier Aguirre is clearly not the answer to Mexico's football problems and any supporter of El Tri could simply expect if not more, a little display of guts rather than a clumsy and desperate win.
Even though the decisions by the three referees made a difference, the display showed by the Salvadorean team outclassed, to say it in nicer terms, the Mexican side.

Prematch talk hurt a lot of Mexican's morale, especially with such a delicate theme as the Swine Flu. Many concerns from each and every organisation here in Mexico discussed seriously the matter, but we all have to remember that, at the end of the day, it is only a football match and no further fuss should interrupt the beautiful game.







The horrid and terrible display of the visiting team was almost as niggling as in the beginning of the previous clash against the United States in which the Salvadoreans could have easily shadow the American team. And with the beginning of the match it was rather curious the air of defeat that could be sensed, even through a 20-inch plasma display, in the Mexican team. Obviously the likes of Pérez at goal, of Rodríguez as centre back proved nothing more than a scary twitch among Mexican supporters back home.

If there was a doubt concerning morale it was obvious that the venue proved to be far more than intimidating. Zelaya's dazzling technique drove Mexican centre-halves to the edge and in that way he set the opportunity, with certain degree of extreme luck, the lead to Martínez to push it at far post, in the first ten minutes.

If there was any doubt of the level of fret that the coach had, two substitutions were on time in the beginning of the second half.
With more than twenty minutes on the clock the Mexican team did not find even an excuse to argument what a terrible display, and while many attempts were futile the main chances for some sort of hope were Franco's dives and Guardado's poor crosses. Eventually one of those throws directly taught from the Mexican Olympic Diving Team fooled the referee giving Mexico a kick from the spot. Cuauhtemoc scored to deny the early Salvadorean goal.
Many attempts were denied from both goals until a latter idiocy of Rojas gave De Los Cobos' team a penalty. The Americanista dragged his hand while the Salvador winger tried to dribble.
Eventually the lead came for the home team. The pessimism seemed to be a fait accompli and while many of the home supporters could not even believe the score sheet, indeed it was real and true.
More tough and difficult tasks arrive fast and thick for Mexico the following months, with a visit from Trinidad and Tobago a couple of days ahead and then another one from the US the 12th of August.