The Mexican national team lost 0-2 in its visit to Honduras in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal for a second consecutive year, leaving Javier Aguirre's side in need of a big comeback to avoid elimination on Tuesday's second leg.
Just when it looked like El Tri was finally taking control of the game early in the second half, a mistake by César Montes playing out of the back gifted Honduras a shot that Guillermo Ochoa was unable to deal with properly and Luis Palma was jumped on the rebound to score his first goal of the night.
Mexico searched for an equalizer, but in the 83rd minute, Palma doubled Honduras' lead with a long shot to Ochoa's far post. Mexico never fully recovered from the first goal gut punch and things went from bad to worse.
A hard-fought, rocky, foul ridden contest was expected even before the opening whistle blew and that's exactly what we got... and then some. Scoring opportunities were hard to come by as both teams struggled to string together more than five passes in a row. Throughout the night, incessant rain fell on an already sub-par field at the Estadio General Francisco Morazán, making the conditions difficult for any sort of attractive soccer to be on display.
The shine from October's 2–0 victory against the USMNT quickly washed away. El Tri is now obligated to mount a comeback in Toluca, Mexico, to avoid adding another chapter to the continuously growing book of recent embarrassing eliminations from international tournaments.
Here are three takeaways from Mexico's 0–2 defeat vs. Honduras.
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Luis Malagón Needs to be the Starter Moving Forward
There's no question Ochoa is a legend of El Tri, but time has come for a passing of the torch.
Ochoa could've done more to prevent both goals. Sure, Montes's mistake in the first goal is far more egregious, but Ochoa handed Palma the rebound on a platter and was slow to get up to try and block the second shot.
Palma placed the second goal perfectly in the bottom corner; however, the shot didn't have considerable power, giving Ochoa plenty of time to react. Instead of taking a few lateral steps, Ochoa dove for the ball from his initial position, making it impossible for him to get a glove on the ball.
It's clear Ochoa is no longer Mexico's best option in goal. Ochoa will be 40-years-old by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around and there are clear signs he's no longer the player that stole the show in the 2014 WC. Ochoa's experience could be a valuable asset in Mexico's dressing room, but his legacy as Mexico's WC hero could be tarnished if he continues to play.
Luis Malagón should be the undisputed starter moving forward.
Javier Aguirre Tried to Experiment, but Got it Terribly Wrong
Julián Quiñones became one of the best players of the decade in Liga MX playing as a second striker or on the left wing. Against Honduras, Aguirre decided to play him as a right winger, a position Quiñones isn't used to playing and it showed. He struggled to make an impact in the game. When he started to feel more comfortable, Aguirre took him off.
Since it was announced that regular starter, Johan Vázquez, would not be available for both games, questions arose about who Aguirre would pick to play as the left center back partnering Montes. He decided to play Montes in Vázquez's position, with Israel Reyes playing as the right center back. The defense struggled in the second half and Montes is the main culprit for the first goal.
Aguirre could've played Jesús Orozco, a left-footed center back, in his natural position, but he opted against it and it didn't work out. The aforementioned selection of Ochoa in goal is also a head-scratcher.
The decision to line players up out of position, play out of form players and opting for substitutions that didn't make any significant impact resulted in Aguirre losing his first official match since he returned as Mexico's manager.
Raúl Jiménez Remains Mexico's Best Option
El Tri's struggles to find a prolific goalscorer has been one of its biggest issues in recent years. However, the main problem seems to be that Mexico's center forwards don't get any service.
Raúl Jiménez had to create his only semi-clear scoring opportunity. Other players were unable to create anything for him, as he played most of the night with his back towards goal, far from any dangerous areas. He constantly tried to drop closer to midfield just to get a chance to have contact with the ball and be involved in the game.
It doesn't matter who plays center forward, goals from the striker position will be hard to come by if the rest of the team can't manufacture chances for the striker. It's an issue that Santiago Giménez, Henry Martín and now Jiménez have had to deal with, often looking like a lone wolf up front.
Mexico failed to score at Honduras in consecutive games for the first time in history and a lot of that has to do with the failure to create any clear chances for its striker.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mexico Struggles With a Confounding Lineup: Takeaways From Loss Against Honduras.
