Today, June 8, 2024, Mexico faced off against Brazil in a highly anticipated friendly at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
The game, which kicked off at 7:30 PM local time, 6 PM here in California, occurred as a sort of Copa America friendly—a chance for both teams to test out tactics and players as they get ready for the continental championship that begins on the twentieth.
As far as friendships go, the only friendly thing about this clash was its status as a non-competition match. Both teams went in strong and ready to win.
Mexico took the field with their first team, which differed from their last game in which they went in with their B-team and got beat 4-0 by Uruguay on June 5.
Mexico’s starting lineup was a conventional 4-3-3 with González in goal. The defense was made up of Vázquez and Álvarez as center backs and Reyes and Arteaga as the defensive backs. The three in the middle were Rodríguez, Romo, and Chávez. Leading the Mexican attack was Giménez as the center forward with Antuna and Quiñones on his sides.
Brazil went in with their B-team in an attempt to give the squad rotation and a chance for players to get more minutes.
Brazil’s starting lineup matched Mexico’s 4-3-3 with Liverpool’s Alisson in goal. The Brazilian defense had Arana and Couto on the flanks and Bremer and Éder Militão as center backs. The midfield was made up of Douglas Luiz as the holding midfielder and Éderson and Andreas Pereira in front of him. The offensive trio saw Sávio and Martinelli on the sides and Evanilson as the center forward.
The game had a dynamic start with Brazil showing dominance and scoring early, with Andreas Pereira putting one in within only 5 minutes.
After the goal, both teams kept up the momentum, and the game slowly saw Mexico build their way towards an equalizer, but they were repeatedly denied by the strong Brazilian defense.
Playing with a high defensive line, Mexico made it hard for Brazil to play the ball out. As a result, Brazil resorted to trying long balls for most of the first half.
At the thirty-fifth-minute mark, the game stopped for a hydration break due to the high temperatures in Texas. Coming back from the break, Mexico lost some of its defensive momentum and began to give Brazil more space to play their game.
The first half ended with both teams playing hard and wanting to attack.
Due to poor decision-making from Mexico in the offensive field and the lack of chemistry from Brazil, the first half ended 1-0.
The second half started just like the first, with Brazil scoring early. After a well-constructed play, Martinelli scored with an assist by Yan Couto.
After amplifying the scoreline with just 9 minutes into the second half, Brazil’s coach Dorival Junior decided to make some changes to the team.
The substitutions made by Dorival included a surprising decision to put Lucas Paquetá on. Lucas is currently under investigation by the English Football Federation for getting yellows on purpose and might be banned from soccer.
A sad moment occurred at 13 minutes in the second half when the game had to be stopped due to homophobic chants by the Mexican fans.
Coming back from the break caused by the deplorable chants, both teams continued to show attacking football.
Trailing by two goals, the Mexican national team began to attack more, but a very structured Brazilian defense made it hard for the Mexican team to create anything.
After a long period of offensive versus defensive play, the Mexican team found the space they needed, and at 27 minutes into the second half, they scored with Julián Quiñones.
With the score now at 2-1, Dorival Junior decided to put in more starters, including current Champions League winner and favorite to win the Ballon d’Or, Vinícius Júnior. This change had an immediate effect, with Vini almost scoring minutes after coming on.
With only a one-goal deficit and the game reaching its end, Mexico threw themselves forward in hopes of tying the game.
At 41 minutes in the second half, the game was stopped again, but this time for a much more family-friendly reason. Instead of stopping due to homophobic chants, the game was brought to a stop due to many field invaders who were looking to take a picture with their idols.
During the break due to the invaders, Mexico decided to make some substitutions to make the team even more offensive.
As the game reached its end, the referee gave 8 minutes of added time to make up for all stops throughout the game.
The all-out attack strategy by the Mexican team paid off with a dramatic late equalizer. After a very well-taken corner and a rebound off a save by Alisson, Guillermo Martínez was there to put in a powerful shot and tie up the game at 49 minutes.
With four minutes left and everything tied, the Mexican team seemed very satisfied with the result, especially after their horrific result against Uruguay.
The Brazilian team, however, did not settle for the tie, and after a beautiful cross by Vinícius Júnior and a deadly header by Endrick, Brazil scored, and in the dying embers of the game, the five-time World Cup winners were back on top.
After the late goal by Endrick, Mexico did not have time to react, and the game ended 3-2.
This dramatic showdown showcased a big evolution within the Mexican team, who came from a big loss to Uruguay. It also made it clear that even though Brazil lacked chemistry, having players who can decide a game makes a huge difference.
As both teams move on in their journey towards the Copa America, Brazil gets ready to face off against the United States on June 12 for another pre-Copa friendly.
Mexico, on the other hand, has no more friendlies left, and their next game is already for the Copa America, against Jamaica on June 22.
In the end, this thrilling encounter at Kyle Field highlighted both teams’ strengths and areas for improvement. Mexico needs to become more organized defensively, while Brazil requires better team chemistry.
This game, with its last-minute drama and game-changing moments, set the stage perfectly for what promises to be an exciting Copa America.
