Mexico Grind Out Goalless Draw Against Ronaldo-Free Portugal in Azteca Fireworks
Mexico secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw against a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal at the renovated Estadio Azteca, with both sides guilty of glaring misses. Standouts like Israel Reyes and Vitinha shone, while Armando González's late header blunder summed up the night's frustrations. El Tri now eye a tough Belgium clash without home advantage.
Mexico Grind Out Goalless Draw Against Ronaldo-Free Portugal in Azteca Fireworks
Picture this: the mighty Estadio Azteca, freshly spruced up and buzzing with a packed crowd under the Mexico City lights. Mexico and Portugal served up a proper arm-wrestle on Saturday night, but for all the tension, it ended in a 0-0 draw that left goalkeepers twiddling their thumbs more than diving about.
No Cristiano Ronaldo for the Portuguese – neutrals were gutted – but even without their talisman, they bossed possession after the first 10 minutes. Still, neither side could find the net, with misses that'd make your nan blush.
Tense Scrap with Chances Squandered
It was end-to-end stuff early doors, nearly boiling over a few times as tempers flared. Portugal should've been ahead by half-time, Gonçalo Ramos fluffing two sitters from close range – if that's his audition to nudge CR7 off the perch, he's got work to do.
Mexico, gritty as ever under Javier Aguirre, hung tough. They nicked the best chance late on when Armando González somehow nodded wide from the back post. Mate, from two yards out? That's the kind of howler that haunts dreams – or at least gives pub pundits ammo for weeks.
El Tri lacked punch up top, a familiar gripe ahead of the World Cup, but holding one of Europe's elite to a clean sheet? Not bad going, especially with the altitude as their secret weapon.
Stars Shine, Misfires Mope
Let's dish out the plaudits and brickbats. Israel Reyes was a brick wall at right-back, forcing Portugal to attack down the other flank. The lad, usually a striker, bossed it defensively and pinged diagonals like a pro – World Cup starting spot locked in?
Julián Quiñones shone too, dropping deep to torment João Neves and whipping in a peach of a cross that González butchered. For Portugal, Vitinha ran the midfield show post-break, feeding Pedro Neto who terrorised down the right.
On the flip side, Obed Vargas looked green as grass in midfield, gifting possession early and fading out. Gonçalo Guedes was shocking after the interval, and Ramos's blanks won't thrill the selectors. González joins the losers' list for that header – talk about snatching defeat from victory's jaws.
Ratings Roundup and What's Next
FotMob ratings tell the tale:
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Raúl Rangel (GK, 7.3): Smashed a rocket save, distribution on point. Ochoa who?
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Israel Reyes (RB, 7.5): Man of the match vibes, owned the flanks.
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César Montes (CB, 6.7) & Johan Vásquez (CB, 6.9): Solid but shaky at times.
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Jesús Gallardo (LB, 6.6): Grafted hard, struggled vs Neto.
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Midfield: Erik Lira (6.6) filled Álvarez's boots nicely, but Obed Vargas (6.2) and debutant Álvaro Fidalgo (6.2) were quiet after bright starts.
Samú Costa impressed for Portugal with tackles and long shots, though Vitinha edged it.
Three days on, Mexico face a Belgium side that hammered the USMNT. No Azteca magic this time – they'll need more bite to match this result. As reported by OneFootball, it was a gritty point, but creativity's the missing link for El Tri.
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