Football Swing: Mexico and Uzbekistan played out a real thriller

The match seemed to be controlled by a random number generator. As in Mostbet Aviator. Anyone could win.

A shocking stoppage time equalizer by Otabek Shukurov snatched a dramatic 3-3 draw for Uzbekistan against Mexico in an entertaining international friendly held Tuesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

First half

The match started in disappointing fashion for Mexico as Uzbekistan’s Bobir Abdixolikov leapt up to head in a well-placed opening goal in the 18th minute off a nice cross from the right side. However, El Tri responded quickly just three minutes later when Raúl Jiménez pounced on a loose ball in the box to slot home the equalizer. Jimenez was able to capitalize after Roberto Alvarado skied his shot attempt following a pass into the box from Edson Álvarez.

Despite controlling 60% of the possession and outshooting their opponents 9 to 5, Mexico slipped up again just before halftime. A slick passing move from Uzbekistan led to Azizbek Turg’unbaev firing off a clean finish from just inside the box into the bottom corner. The goal in the first minute of stoppage time gave Uzbekistan a 2-1 lead right before the halftime whistle.

Second half

Looking to spark his team after the break, Mexico manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano made a couple of tactical adjustments and brought on fresh legs like Uriel Antuna, Jordi Cortizo and Santiago Giménez. The increased attacking presence eventually paid dividends as Jimenez found the equalizer again in the 81st minute. After pouncing on a poor headed clearance from the Uzbekistan defense, Jimenez slotted home his second goal of the night to level the score at 2-2.

Antuna then appeared to complete Mexico’s comeback just seven minutes later by deflecting a clearance attempt into the Uzbekistani net following a dangerous cross into the box. The 88th minute goal gave El Tri their first lead of the night at 3-2.

But refusing to accept defeat, Uzbekistan pushed numbers forward in the dying moments of the match. A dangerous free kick just outside the box led to Shukurov perfectly placing his shot into the top left corner in the 92nd minute, dramatically salvaging the 3-3 draw for Uzbekistan.

Words

«It leaves a bitter taste because we had already earned the comeback with passion and heart. We let our guard down and allowed them to steal a point from us», – striker Santiago Giménez told reporters after the match.

Fellow goalscorer Raúl Jiménez agreed, stating: «We have to be more self-critical and realize we didn’t play a complete game tonight. We stopped playing after taking the lead and there are many aspects that we need to continue improving».

The late capitulation continues Mexico’s disappointing form during this international break, following a 2-2 draw against Australia last Saturday night in Dallas. For Uzbekistan, the dramatic late draw caps off their window with a loss and a tie after falling 3-0 to the United States earlier in the week in another friendly held in Ohio.

Tuesday’s matchup marked the 14th game played by Mexico in the United States in 2023 across all competitions, as El Tri continues to place a heavy emphasis on gaining exposure and support in the lucrative American market. Prior to the friendly, the Mexican federation had announced another future U.S. match against Colombia scheduled for December 16th at the historic LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.

Summary

Mexico controlled possession and outshot Uzbekistan during the match, but failed to capitalize on their dominance. The Mexicans will feel frustrated to give up the equalizer so late after mounting a second half comeback. However, Uzbekistan deserves credit for continuing to fight until the final whistle and coming away with a credible result against a top CONCACAF side.

For Mexico manager Jimmy Lozano, the match exposed areas needing improvement such as defensive organization, focus and seeing out leads. Lozano will be eager to implement lessons learned from this draw as Mexico builds towards more important competitions in 2023 like the CONCACAF Nations League, Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers.

The entertaining draw keeps Mexico undefeated under Lozano, but continues a worrying trend of squandering leads that plagued El Tri during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Despite having talented attacking players, Mexico has struggled to develop a killer instinct and tends to let opponents back into matches. Addressing these mental lapses and instilling a ruthless winning mentality will be crucial tasks for Lozano and his staff.

While not a disastrous result for Mexico, the late capitulation once again raised questions and skepticism surrounding the national team program. Continued mediocre performances have many Mexican fans and pundits demanding wholesale changes and increased accountability. The pressure and expectations will only amplify as Mexico tries to put their World Cup disappointment behind them and focus on rebounding in 2023.

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