Mexico U-23 vs. Spain U-23: 0-1
Two
teams, both talented in different ways, took to the pitch to showcase
their talent on Wednesday in the port city of Cadiz, Spain. A sea of
red jerseys took to the stadium to cheer on the home team, and
Spain's U-23 didn't fail to deliver. In classic Spanish style, the
team took to the lead early on in the game. Their first attempt was
blocked by Mexico goalkeeper Corona, but seven minutes later, the
Spaniards opened the score. Javi Martinez got a great cross from a
corner kick, giving him the opportunity to jump just that bit higher
than Corona and head the ball in. Commentator Pablo Ramirez was right
to point out the presence of Barcelona players on the squad, as the
players enhanced the game with the trademark Barca style of play. The
Spaniards continued to be dangerous on set pieces, but failed to go
beyond a 1-0 lead. Evidently, the opposition had quite a few things
up their sleeves as well. One of Mexico's magic moments came from
Cruz Azul's Javier Aquino. Only David De Gea's outstretched right leg
prevented a Mexico equalizer on the 38th minute. Corona's
saves were right on the money. Adrian Lopez had a poor attempt at
storming Mexico's net, and Corona calmly took the ball. Mexico was
great on counters, and the team's defending was simply superb.
There's something to be said about preventing any Spanish team from
having a goal fest. The second half included a few more heroic saves
from Corona. He took the ball in the air near the upper corner of the
net on the 76th minute, showing his great ability to
control the ball after it is caught. With such a rare gift and
lightning-fast reflexes, he has evidently surpassed his younger
fellow goalie Memo Ochoa.
It's
always interesting to watch young talent play outside of the club
atmosphere, and an infrequent opportunity at that. Both teams have
creative players capable of making one-on-one runs, and Mexico
definitely played a worthy game against the Spaniards. Spain did have
the team edge, but when it came down to individual talent, Mexico was
always a step ahead. The man of the match was, without a doubt,
goalkeeper Corona. He was great on short-range shots, and his
performance overall was stunning. I can't wait to see him perform at
the London Olympics!
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