WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : SOCCER / GRAHAME L. JONES : Garcia at Center Stage When It Counts
The inscription on the back of the Mexican fans’ shirts said it all: “Confia en Mexico.” Rely on Mexico.
The fans were confident that Mexico would not let them down a second time. The 1-0 loss to Norway in the first game was but a memory, a defeat that could be blamed on World Cup nerves, perhaps, or even bad luck.
After all, Mexico had held the more powerful Norwegians in check until the final minutes before yielding a goal. Even then, Coach Miguel Mejia Baron’s team had fought back and almost gained a tie.
Ireland would be an equally difficult opponent, but the fans were sure that victory could be theirs.
Over in the Irish camp, the feeling was that, having beaten Italy, the favorite to win the group title, Mexico could also be defeated, or at least tied. That would give Ireland four points and virtually assure passage to the next round.
Yes, the heat and humidity would be a factor, but surely it could be no worse at the Florida Citrus Bowl than it had been at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Ireland approached the game, therefore, in an equally confident manner.
Mexico made a couple of surprise changes in its lineup, relegating forward Hugo Sanchez and defender Ramon Ramirez to the bench and bringing in Carlos Hermosillo as the central striker, flanked by Luis Roberto Alves on the left and Luis Garcia on the right.
Garcia had seemed out of place playing wide against Norway, his usual position or role being central striker. The same thing was true Friday, but Garcia solved the problem by abandoning his role on the right and drifting more and more toward the center of the field.
The result was two goals by the Atletico Madrid star and a 2-1 victory for Mexico, which meant there was no way Baron could blame Garcia afterward.
Both Mexican goals resulted from short passes in or near the penalty area to a wide-open Garcia, who had managed to elude the Irish defense simply by not being where he was supposed to be.
Rather than criticize Baron for playing him on the right, Garcia was diplomatic when asked about it.
“I did like my new position,” he said. “I felt good about it.”
Not feeling so good was Ireland’s coach, Jack Charlton, whose behavior at the postgame news conference was matched only by the foul language he and his players were guilty of on the bench. Soccer is not for choirboys, true, but there are limits.
“You write what you like,” Charlton fumed at reporters. “You always do anyway.”
Why did Ireland lose?
The answer is simple: It was beaten by a better team; a team that could pace itself to last 90 minutes without wilting in the closing stages; a team that let the ball do the work, making the pass a more effective weapon than the run; a team that had some creative ideas and put them to use.
Ignacio Ambriz played a captain’s role for Mexico, setting the example on both offense and defense, while Hermosillo and especially Alberto Garcia Aspe were constant thorns in the side of the Irish.
Ireland played with heart and deserved the late goal that John Aldridge scored on a crossing pass from his fellow substitute, Jason McAteer.
They might even have got the tying goal had Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos, wearing his usual circus outfit, not been there to save Andy Townsend’s wickedly curving shot.
But the result was a fair one and it leaves the group wide open. Each of the four teams has three points from two games. Tuesday will be decision day when Ireland and Norway meet at Giants Stadium in a game that has 0-0 written all over it, while Italy and Mexico play in Washington.
Complicating matters for the Irish, however, is that defenders Terry Phelan and Denis Irwin both received their second yellow cards of the tournament, meaning they will have to sit out Tuesday’s game.
The Mexicans had a mathematical edge until Aldridge’s goal left the teams deadlocked at the top of the standings--in goals scored. Similarly, the Italians and Norwegians are tied just behind them.
Which teams go through and which go home seemingly will not be determined until the final kick.
If it’s Luis Garcia who takes it, put your money on Mexico.
