Mexico caresses the feat, Arabia leaves with the memory of Argentina

He longed for Mexico to sing ‘the black‘, the song he had chosen to celebrate his goals in this World Cup. And he was able to make up for it twice, in just five minutes of authentic madness, as his elimination ended up being, to the beat of the saddest ranchera. Black, dark, she stayed the night of Doha. Because the Aztec team defeated Saudi Arabia, but did not score. He stayed one target away from glory. For a few minutes, he was even out for the ‘fair play’, equalized everything else with Poland. But Al-Dawsari dashed all hopes Aztecs with the 1-2 in the addition, at the time that honored the historic World Cup of a Saudi Arabia capable of surprising Argentina itself.

Like a street runner, the assault between two uncomplexed teams began. With precise passes between lines of Hirving Lozano who forced Alowais to be used thoroughly when cutting. With the sharp profile of kanno, in open play and foul. But soon the ball was taken over by the one most in need of a victory, Tata Martino’s Mexico, who in what is already his last game as Aztec coach opted for Henry Martin to the detriment of Funes Mori and Raúl Jiménez, but who was not alone in the lead. He covered him with Edson Alvarez and Pineda, the surprise of the alignment, and with the continuous arrivals from the bands of their sides. The return to 4-3-3 and an offensive vocation perhaps too late.

Arabia was accommodating to the progressive siege, emulating the stoicism exhibited in its historic victory against Argentina. And in every way. He has been accumulating casualties in the battle during the league (Al Shahrani, El Faraj, Al Burayk…) and midway through the first half Albulayhi had to retire this time. However, Hervé Renard’s men had one of the clearest chances on the brink of rest, almost without making a sound, in a Alhassan’s header to downtown Alghannam. The goal, after the penalty that Szczesny had just stopped Messi in the Argentina-Poland game, I would have put the Saudis as group leader.

Nothing could be further from the truth, because with the resumption the Mexican madness was unleashed. N had been able to score in two and a half games, and in five minutes he did it twice. And set pieces. The first, in a corner that César Montes continued at the near post for Henry Martín to put his foot. And the soul. The 0-2, immediately afterwards, a authentic free-kick goal by Luis Chávezwho slipped the ball through the entire squad with the same frenzy with which he celebrated it, even shedding tears.

Mac Allister had just advanced to Argentina against Poland, which placed Mexico just one goal away from a classification that ten minutes before seemed almost impossible. And he had her in the boots of the Chucky Lozanoin a goal annulled due to a millimetric offside by Martín, due to a heel. The América striker will remember that action, as well as the very clear occasion that he sent high, at 70 ′, only against Alowais.

By then, already Argentina had scored the 0-2 in their match, which added an unspeakable drama to the classification: equalized at all with Poland, Mexico was left out due to the ‘fair play’, that is, for having seen more yellow cards in this World Cup.

The tension multiplied with a new extraordinary free-kick by Chávez, this time blocked with the flight of the omnipresent goalkeeper saudi and with an alleged hand in the area of the green hawks, that the recently entered Raul Jimenez he hoarsed asking but neither the referee nor the VAR considered. Yes it was an infraction, and clearly, the offside in which Antuna incurred in a well canceled goal.

And when the occasions multiplied, the endless attack, the emotions of a Tri who believed it in search of that goal that would classify them, the blow came. Al-Dawsari’s goal in the 95th minute, which didn’t really change things but at the same time changed everything. Because there was no time to react. Because it was a slap of reality for the Tata Martino team. Because ‘La negra’ did not sound again, and Mexico abandons the World Cup. Until next time, in 2026, which will be at home.