The last time head coach Javier Aguirre led Mexico in a World Cup (Korea/Japan 2002), one hasty substitution arguably led to their downfall against heated rivals USA in the quarterfinals.
On that afternoon, Brian McBride scored in the 8th minute to give the US an early lead. Frustrated by his team’s inability to crack the American defense, Aguirre took out left back Ramón Morales and brought in striker Luis Hernández before the half-hour mark. That move proved to be the wrong one, as Landon Donovan went on to end Mexico’s hopes with his 65th-minute goal.
Aguirre himself has said that, looking back at the game, he never should have made that move.
In a crucial match against France on Thursday, one that would essentially determine El Tri's fate in South Africa, “El Vasco” Aguirre again had to make a substitution near the 30-minute mark. This one, however, was out of necessity.
Playing in 41-degree weather, forward Carlos Vela had to come out with a right thigh injury. Taking his place was speedy youngster Pablo Barrera. Although Barrera didn’t score, he troubled the French defenders all evening and caused the penalty that Cuauhtémoc Blanco buried for Mexico’s second goal.
Aguirre also made two more substitutions that paid dividends. The head coach’s decision to bring on new Manchester United signing Javier Hernández for Guillermo Franco in the 55th minute bore fruit just nine minutes later, when Hernández received a ball from captain Rafael Márquez behind the defenders, juked goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, then easily guided the ball home to open the scoresheet.
Blanco was brought on in the 62nd minute and went on to score the penalty in the 79th, becoming the first Mexican to score in three different World Cups.
“I don’t know if it was the team’s best match,” Aguirre told a Mexican TV station, “but it was a complete performance with a lot of attitude, closing off spaces. We improved a lot defensively from the previous game.”
Mexico haven’t exactly proved they’re a world-beater yet, but they proved that they can give anyone a run for their money.
Eight years after his botched tactical move, Aguirre can now feel a bit of vindication because, in a match perhaps as important as the one against the US in 2002, his decisions this time around proved to be the right ones.
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