Wales vs Mexico
Wales travel to Cardiff City on Saturday night to take on Mexico in their latest International Friendly.
The Red Dragons are reeling from a tough defeat against the top-ranked team in Belgium yesterday, and they’ll be using this game in order to give themselves confidence for the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Mexico also have the same purpose for this friendly match as well. This will be the first part of their mini-series of friendlies as they continue to prepare for the month of June.
After Wales, they’ll face Costa Rica coincidentally in their next friendly – a team that they’ll be facing in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals.
Given Wales’ and Mexico’s congested schedules, this exhibition game may not appear to be prioritised for both teams to win.
However, it should be noted that previous matches between these two teams have been highly-contested and we are expecting something similar this weekend.
This is the perfect chance for Robert Page and Gerardo Martino to whip their teams into tip-top shape. And with the quality of players present, we expect nothing less from these two squads.
Without further ado, SBOTOP examines both of these squads here in this match preview.
Talking Points
Wales want to bounce back after tough loss
Despite losing to Belgium in their first World Cup 2022 qualifiers game, Wales can somehow pat themselves at the back given their encouraging performance.
The Red Dragons threatened to cause a major upset when Harry Wilson took the lead for them during the 10th minute. However, they couldn’t sustain their hot run when the Red Devils managed to equalise.
Kevin De Bruyne and Thorgan Hazard punched in two goals in just a span of seven minutes, and then Belgium put the nail in the coffin when Romelu Lukaku scored a penalty late in the second half.
The loss was Wales’ first in a competitive match since June 2019, ending their 11-game unbeaten run.
Harry Wilson may have been the brightest spot for Wales, but let’s not overlook the fact that his score came from a lovely Gareth Bale assist.
Bale has been playing well lately and his production will be much needed both for the Spurs and for the Red Dragons moving forward.
Completing their front trio will be Daniel James, whose lightning pace and ball handling can create a ton of International Friendly 2021 highlights.
Unfortunately for Wales, their midfield might be a weak point because Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen is doubtful to play after suffering a hamstring injury during their game against Belgium.
Youngsters Neco Williams and Ethan Ampadu will be tasked to hold down the fort against Mexico’s bruisers, while Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, and James Lawrence are to marshal the backline.
Mexico are no pushovers
El Tri will look to prove their worth when they face the Red Dragons in Cardiff City.
With Carlos Vela surprisingly omitted in the lineup, Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona, and Jonathan dos Santos will spearhead their attack, while Hector Herrera, Edson Alvarez, and Diego Lainez will aim to take charge in the middle.
Mexico want to build on their back-to-back wins over South Korea and Japan where they beat them both in high-scoring fashion, finding the back of the net five times total.
It is unlikely that they’ll score that high against Wales this Saturday, but they do have enough quality players that can cause major headaches for the Red Dragons.
History
Wales and Mexico have been familiar with each other although their matches only come few and far between.
They will square off for the first time since 2018, when the Red Dragons and El Tri played out a goalless draw last May 28 in Pasadena, California.
Prior to that, Mexico won over Wales in an exhibition last May 27, 2012 as El Tri scored two goals in the first half.
In the 1958 World Cup, the Red Dragons were the team that gave Mexico their only point after a 1-1 score. El Tri would bow out of the tournament after a lacklustre showing.
In the same tournament, Wales moved on to qualify to the quarterfinals after beating Hungary in a playoff tiebreaker. However, they eventually lost to Brazil.
Wales have yet to a win a competitive game against Mexico.
The International Friendly 2021 odds bat for the Mexicans to extend their unbeaten streak over Wales.
It remains to be seen on how Wales’ lineup will look in this game, but I am expecting caretaker manager Robert Page to err the side of caution and give his younger players more playing time than their veterans.
Gerardo Martino have pieces that can exploit Wales’ frailties, particularly in the midfield, and they should have enough firepower to put them away in Cardiff City.
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