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Jekyll-and-Hyde Mexico Find a Way to See off Uruguay and Take Control of Group C
- Updated: June 6, 2016
After a sluggish start, the Copa America Centenario burst into life on Sunday.
At the end of a weekend that saw the world say its farewells to the great boxer Muhammad Ali, heavyweights Mexico and Uruguay went toe-to-toe in Glendale, Arizona. Instead of the Rumble in the Jungle, it was the Duel in the Desert.
The Group C rivals combined to produce four goals (one of which was scored in the wrong net), two red cards and a whole heap of talking points. And that was without the injured Luis Suarez playing, too.
So much for easing yourself in at a major tournament.
Mexico came away with a 3-1 victory thanks to two late goals. They deserved to walk away with the three points, even if it was something of a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance from Juan Carlos Osorio’s side.
The University of Phoenix Stadium has a climate-control system to help keep everyone cool inside the venue. However, it didn’t take long for things to boil over.
Uruguay were ticking even before a ball had been kicked, due to a mistake over their national anthem:
The National Anthem for “Uruguay”. #CopaAmerica #MEXvURU pic.twitter.com/0J37Ckm4Rw
— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) June 6, 2016
Their mood hardly improved when full-back Alvaro Pereira unfortunately headed home a left-wing cross beyond his own goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, in the opening minutes.
However, the buildup to the goal summed up Mexico’s display in the first 45 minutes.
Colombian Osorio’s decision to go with a 3-4-3 formation seemed a masterstroke during the opening half—his side were fast, flexible and full of bright ideas.
Have to admit: El Tri is fun to watch. They attack with a purpose and follow a philosophy #CopaAmerica #Copa100 #MEXvURU
— Michael Lewis (@Soccerwriter) June 6, 2016
To say wingers Javier Aquino and Jesus Corona hugged the touchline was an understatement—they had enough chalk on their boots to make a pack of Crayola crayons between …
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