Big Crowd, Bigger Surprise
Pedigree will tell, even in a young dog.
On Tuesday night, in front of a near sellout crowd of more than 70,000 at the Coliseum, a youthful and energetic Argentina defeated Mexico, 1-0, on a 14th-minute goal by Gonzalo Rodriguez to secure its second victory on a three-game tour.
In the end, it was the Mexican soccer team that left the field with its tail between its legs, beaten by a more industrious, more creative and more ambitious Argentine side that had no player older than 24.
And so, Marcelo Bielsa now has three victories in what might be called his second stint as Argentina’s coach after the first ended in the debacle of a first-round exit at the Korea/Japan ’02 World Cup.
Bielsa got a new contract and now he is building a new team.
Japan was the first to fall, 2-0, last fall. Honduras was beaten, 3-1, on Friday night. And now Mexico has been disposed of, 1-0. Next up? The United States on Saturday in Miami.
For Bielsa, the new dawn looks promising. For Mexico Coach Ricardo Lavolpe, however, it has yet to arrive.
Tuesday was Lavolpe’s debut as Mexico’s coach, and he had talked in recent days of piecing together a team that would qualify for the Germany 2006 World Cup “sin sufrimiento,” in other words, without suffering.
But Lavolpe was left suffering Tuesday night as his older and far more experienced team was if not outplayed then certainly out-hustled. Argentina, to revisit an old phrase, wanted it more.
Mexico started brightly enough, but its tactics were sadly transparent. Twice in the first dozen minutes potentially dangerous crosses were floated into the Argentine penalty area, but neither of Mexico’s forwards, Jesus Olalde and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, were adept enough to finish the chances.
What was required was the aerial presence of Jared Borgetti, but the lanky striker was a late withdrawal from Mexico’s team because of an injury he sustained during Mexican League play that left him at less than 100%.
Instead, it was Argentina that struck first, the game’s lone goal coming 13:36 into the match and in somewhat curious fashion.
A corner kick from the left by midfielder Andres D’Alessandro dropped into a knot of players directly in front of the Mexican net and well out of the reach of goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez.
Mexico defender Diego Martinez and Argentina’s Rodriguez both leaped to head it, but the ball appeared to fall between the two, bounce off one or the other and roll into the net.
Rodriguez claimed credit for the goal and raced to the Coliseum tunnel corner of the field, where a throng of more than 3,000 blue-clad Argentine fans were already in great voice, sensing an upset in the making.
Having fallen behind, Mexico applied itself a little more vigorously and referee Kevin Stott, who handled the game flawlessly, was soon reaching for what became a series of yellow cards.
But the Mexican team was not in form, and Blanco, usually a persistent threat, drifted out of the game for long spells.
The Argentines, featuring several players from the team that won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2001, were faster to the ball, showed more skill in controlling it once they had possession and their tackles had more bite, sometimes a little too much.
They should have doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Federico Insua danced past Martinez and Hector Altamirano, leaving the Mexican defenders bewildered in his wake. Insua sent in a perfect cross but Argentine forward Diego Milito contrived to head the ball wide when it would have been easier to score.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Mexico’s Duilio Davino twice came close to putting the ball into his own net, first steering a shot just wide of the right post and then chesting a corner kick just wide of the left.
Mexico survived these moments of madness, however, and could perhaps have earned a tie had it lifted the level of its play.
