ARLINGTON – Plenty of questions have been asked from Mexico concerning the lack of goals in recent months. Santiago Gimenez raised his hand as a potential answer to the problem.
Scoring a goal in the 12th minute, Gimenez sent Mexico on its way to a 2-1 win over Nigeria on Saturday at AT&T Stadium. The win marked Mexico’s first victory in preparation matches after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The match marked the 12th time the Mexican national team has played inside the venue. Having recently renewed its partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, El Tri will continue to play in the DFW Metroplex through 2026.
Gerardo “Tata” Martino called up 36 players for the set of three friendlies this window, which included a diverse mix of veterans and youthful prospects hoping to secure an outside spot in the World Cup squad.
Sticking to his guns, Martino played a 4-3-3 with Gimenez as the central striker. Though he failed to score in Mexico’s last outing, a 0-0 draw vs. Guatemala back in April, the Cruz Azul forward repaid Martino’s faith this time around.
The opening goal came in the 12th minute via a headed-down ball from Jesus Gallardo to the center of the 6-yard box. With a bit of luck, Gimenez’s shot ricocheted into the back of the net off his knee after his initial strike was saved by Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.
Martino justified his selection by saying that it was that had trained the most in the recent and that it paid off in the initial stages of the game.
“Every single player knows he has to offer something when he’s on the pitch,” Martino said post-game. “‘Santi’ showed off his qualities with more than just his goal. We have seen for a while now and value the huge potential he brings. He’s the type of player that’s seen as one for the future of the national team but we’re adamant that he should be part of the present.”
His strike earned him the man of the match award and he can give himself props for being an active presence in his 67 minutes played.
“I admire all the players on the squad, Raul Jimenez, Henry Martin, all of them,” Gimenez said. “I learn a lot from them day to day. It’s a healthy internal competition because we all want to win.”
After his strike, however, he went fairly quiet as Mexico’s chances struggled to reach him during their slow play. Though his goal will help his case for a spot at striker, Gimenez will need a more consistent output to clinch a spot in the forward pool.
The recent news of Javier Hernandez’s contact with Martino made waves and signals the potential – albeit still unknown – return of Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer.
During the first 20 minutes of the match, El Tri played to Martino’s philosophy of maintaining possession and trying to find the best route toward goal and overloading the defense with speed. Using Roberto Alvarado and Rodolfo Pizarro on the wings, Mexico created its chances.
Yet, after a fine save from Uzoho on Andres Guardado, Mexico’s output cooled somewhat and allowed Nigeria to grow into the match. Everton attacker Alex Iwobi was an active presence in the midfield, drifting freely into open spaces and constantly demanding the ball to spring the visitors forward.
The left flank also proved to be a solid outlet for the Super Eagles, with Calvin Bassey providing a scintillating spark from a wingback role. His effort was rewarded with an assist early in the second half to Cyriel Dessers. Finding space in front of him, the 22-year-old delivered a curling cross that the Nigerian No. 9 headed home, though it was helped in by Rodolfo Cota failing to secure a good handle of the sphere.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro, who opened his tenure with the Super Eagles on Saturday, said his team showed character in the second half but was outran by Mexico’s possession and speed on the wings.
Equally, Gallardo had a decent showing for El Tri. The maligned left-back made his case to reclaim the starting spot by being a dangerous threat going forward. It was his low cross that caught Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong flat-footed and for an own goal with a poor clearance, putting Mexico ahead 2-1 just a pair of minutes after Nigeria’s equalizer.
Gallardo’s defending, though, again caused some doubts and will need more than just good attacking play to fully regain the trust of fans.
Cameos from Diego Lainez, Henry Martin, and Erick Gutierrez didn’t give them too much time to put together worthwhile minutes, though Lainez did have a few chances to dribble on goal and showcase his sparkle.
Martino left the door open to either rotation or continuity for its next matchup. Mexico is scheduled to face Uruguay on June 2 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“The players that are here have the right to be hopeful to play while also bringing an obligation to fight,” Martino said.