Mexico sang Cielito Lindo, but ended up crying his elimination

DOHA — Miracles are those things that are asked of the gods and can only be accomplished by men, and Mexico had the men to accomplish the miracle on the scoreboard: 2-1 over Saudi Arabia, but it was not enough to overturn the Table of Positions: Argentina and Poland, to the Round of 16, for which El Tri returns home crying over their elimination.

A splendid performance by Mexico, but with a victory that was not enough to cover the income of reaching the Round of 16. He passed over Arabia, but he lacked that third goal, and on top of that, in the final minutes, the low box stumbles, and the score of Salem Al-Dawsari to exorcise the tricolor demons.

Mexico had plenty of opportunities to build a scandalous marker, but the errors in the definition, an endemic evil of Mexican soccer, ended up leaving everything in the inconclusive scream, drowned, in a few tens of thousands of fans, who arrived in the complete miracle .

Mexico started with the match log under its arm. Creative, frontal, direct, Luis Chavez Y Orbelin Pineda they responded to the plan of giving order, pause and exit. Jorge Sanchez was the best escape route, and eventually Jesus Gallardo colluded.

The attack formula found fulfillment with an intractable Chucky Lozanothe detachments of Henry Martinto clear zones or mark passes, and Alexis Vega he returned to marathon assignments.

And Mexico felt comfortable, solid, patient, working with each ball, a chance to finish the play, to the obvious bewilderment and despair of the Arabs on the mark, and unable to interrupt the greedy rhythm of the Mexicans.

The first opportunity comes at minute 3. Alexis Vega arrives free, in front of the goalkeeper, but in a low shot he delivers the ball, which at least confirmed the need for Mexico to win and goals that could bring them closer to a genuine chance of qualifying.

Keeping Arabia in the background, forcing it to defend itself with up to nine desperate men, Mexico found Orbelín Pineda in surprise arrivals and in connection with Chávez, who crashed a header into the opponent’s waist, in addition to beginning to warm up the skeleton. of the Saudi goalkeeper.

But, beyond the insistence, in the best game in Mexico, in offensive records and possession, the score continued with that disdain of 0-0. El Tri would close with 11 shots, only three on target.

Before returning to the field, the group circles in the tunnel, listens to the harangue of Guillermo Ochoawhile Uriel Antuna He continues with his warm-up exercises on the pitch.

Mexico keeps the score. And soon harvest. Corner kick to the left. prolongs Cesar Montes, and in the area Henry Martín anticipates and finishes off. 1-0, at ’47. End to the World Cup drought. Two more to go to the calculator. Three more to forget about arithmetic.

And the until then silent and silenced tricolor throat began to snort. Faith was the fuel that called for hope. “Yes, you can, yes, you can!” resounded the cry of the Mexican faction, outnumbered by the Arabs.

Mexico had found the route and Saudi Arabia the absolute bewilderment. Henry Martín redeems a free kick and a yellow card. Luis Chávez’s collection is from the World Cup. He visualized it, savored it, prepared it. And he put a flash into the left corner of Mohamed Al Owais. 2-0 at ’52. Time and the score seem to bless El Tri.

Mexico was close to 3-0, but Orbelín first and Antuna then wasted before the imminence of the goal and the face of pure horror of Mohammed Al Owais, so that later Gerardo Martino bet big with the income of charly rodriguez by Orbelin, and Raul Jimenez by Henry Martin. And then all or nothing: Kevin Alvarez and Rogelio Funes Moriby Edson Álvarez and Jorge Sánchez.

The clock was bleeding. Mexico held the siege over Arabia. I was waiting for the Wall of Jericho to come down, but 3-0 never came, because 2-1 also came before, consummated by Salem and a hesitation from Guillermo Ochoa, among the emotional paralysis of his defenders.

Back home. Signed one of the worst representations of Mexico in World Cups. Several players collapse in tears. Old Mexican soccer story: the castaway ends up dying on the beach.