Pasadena (United States) (AFP) – World Cup co-hosts Mexico warmed up with a scrappy 1-0 friendly win over Australia in front of nearly 80,000 El Tri fans at the Rose Bowl outside Los Angeles on Saturday. Defender Johan Vasquez had the only goal of the encounter, deftly steering in a header from Alexis Vega’s corner midway through the first half.
Mexico dominated possession but Australia, playing largely on the counter and generally solid in defense, spurned several good chances to silence the partisan crowd. The contest took place at the historic venue that hosted the last World Cup final in the United States, in 1994, though the Rose Bowl will not feature in this summer’s tournament. The overwhelming majority of supporters were clad in green for Mexico, which will co-host the 2026 edition along with the US and Canada, with just a smattering of Australian yellow dotted around the cavernous stands.
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While Mexico dominated the ball from kick-off, the first decent chance fell to Australia’s Jackson Irvine, who snatched at a loose ball from a free kick cross and steered it just wide. But El Tri began to make their control count. The dangerous Luis Chavez whipped in a diagonal cross to Vega, whose glancing header was instinctively tipped over the crossbar by Mathew Ryan. Moments later, Mexico scored. The opener came from Vega’s outswinging corner, deftly headed down by Vasquez and bouncing in off the inside post, beyond the reach of an outstretched Ryan. It was poor defending at the set-piece from Australia, who enjoyed a significant height advantage, including the presence of six-foot-six defender Harry Souttar.
The Socceroos had a golden chance to level the game on the cusp of half-time. Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel raced off his line to claim a long ball, but defender Mateo Chavez Garcia ignored the call, instead heading the ball straight into the path of Australia’s Mohamed Toure. The 22-year-old Norwich City striker — born at a refugee camp in Guinea to Liberian parents, before emigrating as a child to Australia — had an open goal but somehow steered his lobbed effort wide left.
Australia began the second half far more proactively. Aiden O’Neill had a powerful long-range effort well saved. Both sides began to make multiple substitutions. Mexico brought on 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who is preparing for his sixth World Cup — a record he is likely to share with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Australian substitutes Paul Okon-Engstler and Ajdin Hrustic combined for a chance, but Hrustic’s shot from just inside the box was well blocked.
Though Australia had greater control in the second half, Mexico thought they had a second goal with a quarter of an hour to go, Jesus Gallardo’s shot accidentally steered in by Hrustic. But the referee had still been spraying the foam line for Australia’s defenders to stand behind, and ruled out the effort, to the fury of Mexico’s players and boisterous fans.
Mexico will have one more tune-up game, against Serbia on home turf on Thursday, before they open the World Cup on June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City. Mexico’s Group A also contains South Korea and the Czech Republic, while Australia have been drawn with co-hosts USA as well as Paraguay and Turkey.
© 2024 AFP
