Mexico fell behind in minute 28 when Panama’s Rolando Blackburn knocked home a rebound left by Guillermo Ochoa. (Photo by LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
El Tri escaped Panama City’s Estadio Rommel Fernández with a valuable point despite a ragged performance that had Mexico fans wondering: “We could have won that game, maybe we should have won; but we didn’t really deserve to win, did we?”
The 1-1 result leaves El Tri atop the Concacaf World Cup qualifying table after the first round of games, its 7 points placing it 2 points clear of second-place Panama, United States and Canada. Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador follow with 2 points; Jamaica is in the cellar with a single point.
Panama drew first blood, Rolando Blackburn poking home a rebound from close range in minute 28. The hosts looked confident throughout the first half, enjoying 52% possession and generating chances on swift counterattacks.
Jesús Corona cracked home the equalizer off a scramble inside the box with a quarter-hour to spare, and El Tri spent the remainder of the game chasing the winner while never managing to get a clear look at goal.
Will missed opportunities haunt El Tri?
After an uninspired first 45 minutes, Mexico tilted the field in its favor during the second half, making better use of its time on the ball. Still, errant passes and miscommunication foiled too many possessions, several leading to fast breaks in the opposite direction.
El Tri also turned the ball over with frustrating regularity, whether it was Corona overdribbling, Jorge Sánchez getting sloppy, Néstor Araujo making poor decisions or any number of culprits.
Still, Mexico’s grit and tenacity took over early in the second half, providing the sensation that a tying goal was inevitable. Andrés Guardado, Henry Martín and Sebastián Córdova came on before the restart and all three made solid contributions.
In minute 55, Martín nodded a cross into the box down to Romo who got off a low volley that was parried aside by Panama keeper Luis Mejía.
In minute 69, Córdova stepped into a laid-off pass from Martín and fired a low, dipping shot that required a fantastic save from Mejía.
Six minutes later, El Tri started a move forward, probing and pulling back, patiently looking for an opening. Guardado and Jesús Gallardo exchanged passes wide left, pulling the Panama defense away from the box.
As they yo-yoed the ball wide left, Gallardo chased down another touch pass from Guardado, feinted then pushed the ball back to Guardado who one-timed a lofted cross to the back side. The pass was knocked to the ground at the top of the box where Córdova volleyed a bouncer that clanged off the left post, ricocheting past an onrushing Martín. Luis Romo rushed toward the bouncing ball, but backed off when he saw Corona had a better angle and “Tecatito” buried it inside the right post.
Suddenly it was 1-1 and momentum was on El Tri’s side. The chance to maintain its perfect start seemed within Mexico’s grasp. But it was not to be.
During the final 45 minutes, El Tri fired seven shots, three of which were on target. The team managed only a single shot on goal in the first half.
The 1-1 result</a> leaves El Tri atop the <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_–_CONCACAF_Third_Round#Standings">Concacaf World Cup qualifying table</a> after the first round of games, its 7 points placing it 2 points clear of second-place Panama, United States and Canada. Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador follow with 2 points; Jamaica is in the cellar with a single point.</p>
<p>Panama drew first blood, Rolando Blackburn poking home a rebound from close range in minute 28. The hosts looked confident throughout the first half, enjoying 52% possession and generating chances on swift counterattacks.</p>
<p>Jesús Corona cracked home the equalizer off a scramble inside the box with a quarter-hour to spare, and El Tri spent the remainder of the game chasing the winner while never managing to get a clear look at goal.</p>
<h2>Will missed opportunities haunt El Tri?</h2>
<p>After an uninspired first 45 minutes, Mexico tilted the field in its favor during the second half, making better use of its time on the ball. Still, errant passes and miscommunication foiled too many possessions, several leading to fast breaks in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>El Tri also turned the ball over with frustrating regularity, whether it was Corona overdribbling, Jorge Sánchez getting sloppy, Néstor Araujo making poor decisions or any number of culprits.</p>
<p>Still, Mexico’s grit and tenacity took over early in the second half, providing the sensation that a tying goal was inevitable. Andrés Guardado, Henry Martín and Sebastián Córdova came on before the restart and all three made solid contributions.</p>
<p>In minute 55, Martín nodded a cross into the box down to Romo who got off a low volley that was parried aside by Panama keeper Luis Mejía.</p>
<p>In minute 69, Córdova stepped into a laid-off pass from Martín and fired a low, dipping shot that required a fantastic save from Mejía.</p>
<p>Six minutes later, El Tri started a move forward, probing and pulling back, patiently looking for an opening. Guardado and Jesús Gallardo exchanged passes wide left, pulling the Panama defense away from the box.</p>
<p>As they yo-yoed the ball wide left, Gallardo chased down another touch pass from Guardado, feinted then pushed the ball back to Guardado who one-timed a lofted cross to the back side. The pass was knocked to the ground at the top of the box where Córdova volleyed a bouncer that clanged off the left post, ricocheting past an onrushing Martín. Luis Romo rushed toward the bouncing ball, but backed off when he saw Corona had a better angle and “Tecatito” buried it inside the right post.</p>
<p>Suddenly it was 1-1 and momentum was on El Tri’s side. The chance to maintain its perfect start seemed within Mexico’s grasp. But it was not to be.</p>
<p>During the final 45 minutes, El Tri fired seven shots, three of which were on target. The team managed only a single shot on goal in the first half.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Player ratings, Part 1 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_488356" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-488356" src=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1235134287-850x560.jpeg" alt="El Tri Panama report" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Olympic bronze medal-winner César Montes, left, stated his case for a starting spot in central defense for El Tri with another strong game. (Photo by ROGELIO FIGUEROA/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>Stubborn Martino sticks with same starters</h3>
<p>Coach “Tata” Martino – and his stand-in Jorge Theiler – get low marks for failing to <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/08/el-tri-panam-qualifier/">rotate the line-up</a>. With El Tri playing its third game in eight days, it only made sense to opt for fresh legs. Instead, the ineffective Rogelio Funes Mori started his third straight game as striker and three back-liners – Gallardo, César Montes and Néstor Araujo – were not given the breathers they deserved.</p>
<p>With a deep bench (and the positive performances of the second-half subs as evidence), Mexico would have been better served with an alternate line-up.</p>
<p><strong>Coaches: 5</strong></p>
<p>As a team, Mexico held firm in the face of adversity (some of it self-inflicted) and battled to a hard-earned draw. Once again, the offensive trident was spotty, lacking burst and flair. Too many turnovers disrupted flow and forced tactical retreats.</p>
<p><strong>Team: 6</strong></p>
<h2>Player ratings<br>
Goalie</h2>
<p><strong>Guillermo Ochoa: 6</strong></p>
<p>“Memo” wasn’t required to do too much after a big-time save just 90 seconds in. He might have done better on the goal (he bundled a rebound right to Blackburn). His passing was below par, even his free kicks.</p>
<div class="recent-posts ">
<h4>More from <b>Playing for 90</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>
<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2023/11/13/leon-juarez-playoffs/">
Leon edges scrappy FC Juarez to secure spot in playoffs
</a>
</li><li>
<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2023/11/12/megan-rapinoe-career-defined-more-farewell-match-injury/">
Megan Rapinoe’s career defined by more than farewell match injury
</a>
</li><li>
<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2023/11/12/barcelona-manage-comeback-alaves/">
Lewandowski scores twice as Barcelona come back to beat Alaves 2-1
</a>
</li><li>
<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2023/11/12/liga-mx-leon-puebla-finales/">
León chasing play-in spot; Puebla aims for higher seeding
</a>
</li><li>
<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2023/11/12/tigres-goalie-america/">
Carlos Rodríguez emerges with clean sheet vs league leaders
</a>
</li></ul>
</div>
<h2>Defense</h2>
<p><strong>Jesús Gallardo – 6.5</strong></p>
<p>The left back provided width and depth and got stronger as the game went on. His cross in minute 55 nearly produced the equalizer and he played a key role in the build-up that resulted in Corona’s goal.</p>
<p><strong>Néstor Araujo – 5</strong></p>
<p>The Celta de Vigo defender had been stellar in the first two qualifiers, but his passing was suspect against Panama, causing some unneeded suspense.</p>
<p><strong>César Montes – 7</strong></p>
<p>“El Cachorro” is settling into the role very nicely and his passing is a pleasant surprise (twice, he sent long diagonal passes to Monterrey teammate Gallardo on the left flank that led directly to offensive moves). Might have been a bit late in marking Blackburn on the goal (it wasn’t his man to begin with), but he smartly cut out several attempted through passes on his front side.</p>
<p><strong>Jorge Sánchez – 3.5</strong></p>
<p>Not sure how much longer Martino can give Sánchez opportunities to claim this spot. The América fullback did little that deserves mention, but at least avoided making the bonehead plays he is becoming known for.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Player ratings, Part II </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_488355" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-488355" src=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1235134640-850x560.jpeg" alt="El Tri Panama report" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Mexico’s Luis Romo (center) patrolled midfield with aplomb, helping El Tri exert control over the game in the second half. (Photo by Eliecer Aizprua Banfield/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>Romo makes a statement, subs contribute mightily</h3>
<h2>Midfield</h2>
<p><strong>Luis Romo – 7</strong></p>
<p>Except for two poor passes (one of which he cleaned up himself), Romo stood tall in midfield. He filled in exceptionally well for the suspended Edson Álvarez, while contributing more on offense than Edson usually does.</p>
<p><strong>Jonathan dos Santos – 4.5</strong></p>
<p>Not much to say as Jona didn’t do much in his 45 minutes on the field. Didn’t make mistakes, but didn’t step up and assert himself either.</p>
<p><strong>Carlos Rodríguez – 6</strong></p>
<p>Charlie had some impressive plays on both sides of the ball in his 45-minute appearance. Somewhat of a surprise that he was subbed out at the half.</p>
<h2>Forwards</h2>
<p><strong>Orbelín Pineda – 5</strong></p>
<p>A sub-par showing from the Cruz Azul man. Dispossessed too often when he should have kept the ball moving and failed to create space. His track-back defense was so-so.</p>
<p><strong>Rogelio Funes Mori – 4</strong></p>
<p>At least this game, “El Mellizo” did not flub a clear chance at goal. He contributed little. Should’ve been given the night off.</p>
<p><strong>Jesús Corona – 6</strong></p>
<p>His goal erased a lot of miscues; poor execution halted some promising moves and he had too many unforced turnovers. “Tecatito” is not in game shape and it showed. Still, his 24-meter rocket in minute 21 came close. He also zipped a curler just wide in minute 64. But it was his man who overlapped into the box before sending the low cross that produced Panama’s goal.</p>
<h2>Substitutes</h2>
<p><strong>Henry Martín – 7</strong></p>
<p>The Aguilas <em>goleador</em> was pesky when pressing Panama defenders, effective on hold-up play and had bids for two assists.</p>
<p><strong>Sebastián Córdova – 7</strong></p>
<p>América’s No. 10 made his presence known with some nice passing and clever movement. Got off two dangerous shots.</p>
<p><strong>Andrés Guardado – 6.5</strong></p>
<p>Eventually he displayed the usual steadfastness that has made him a mainstay in the El Tri midfield, but a few early missed passes hurt.</p>
<p><strong>Uriel Antuna – 6</strong></p>
<p>Had only 30 minutes to contribute, but did what he was supposed to do – run the flank, find space and feed runners inside.</p>
<p><strong>Rodolfo Pizarro – N/A</strong></p>
<p>Only got 6 minutes. Did miss out on a chance to be a hero when he failed to control a pass that might have sprung him into the box.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Liga MX Odds & Ends" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/07/liga-mx-odds-ends-coaches-big-4-talk/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/09/tecatito-el-tri-road-point-panama/"https://playingfor90.com/2021/09/07/liga-mx-odds-ends-coaches-big-4-talk/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Liga MX Odds & Ends </a> </div>
</div>
<p>El Tri will return to training camp in early October ahead of its next round of qualifying games, another three-games-in-seven-days gauntlet from Oct. 7-13.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">