Mexico defeated New Zealand 3-0 in Vasco Aguirre’s debut against one of the poorest attendances in the United States in recent years.
The Mexico national team fulfilled the task of Javier Aguirre’s third debut as head coach by defeating New Zealand 3-0 in Pasadena, California. However, the negative note was the attendance, which marked the fourth-lowest turnout at a stadium in the last five years for matches organized by Soccer United Marketing (SUM) on U.S. soil.
On the footballing side, Mexico, without overdoing it, dominated an opponent that has historically been a victim of the Tricolor. This was the eighth meeting between the two teams, with New Zealand managing only one victory in the past 44 years since their first encounter in 1980.
The goals of the match were scored by Orbelín Pineda, who seemed to finally find his best position on the field, playing just behind the center forward and using his skills to arrive in the box. César Huerta and Luis Romo, who closed the scoreline, also found the back of the net.
In reality, the match didn’t pose much difficulty for the Kiwis, as from the outset, Mexico had great opportunities to take the lead, with Orbelín Pineda and Luis Romo both hitting the posts.
In this context, the Mexican team tried to continue growing with effort, even without Santiago Giménez’s ball in the attack. Julián Quiñones supported as a false nine, providing a better version of himself and helping generate more chances for the Aztec side.
As a result, there was only one team on the field, as the representatives from Oceania were not a serious challenge and had to settle for their seventh defeat in the eight matches played between the two teams.
In summary, Mexico secured this victory, which is a positive start for Javier Aguirre’s third term as coach. For the match against Canada on Tuesday, Aguirre will have a clearer picture of what to expect, especially since Canada defeated the United States 2-1 in Kansas City on Saturday.
One of the Worst Attendances for Mexico Matches
The notable aspect of Saturday’s match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was the sparse attendance, officially reported as 25,271 fans, though it appeared to be fewer than 15,000.
The intense heat, around 100.4°F (38°C) at the start of the game, may have deterred many Mexican fans who often travel across the country to attend Mexico’s matches. Additionally, recent poor performances by the Tricolor have disheartened fans, leading to lower turnout for a game against a less intriguing opponent.
Thus, the attendance for this match ranked among the four lowest in the last five years at U.S. stadiums, surpassing only the 17,202 fans who attended the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, for Mexico’s 2-2 draw with Chile.
The other lowest attendance was during the 3-0 victory over Guatemala in the 2021 Gold Cup, where only 15,391 people showed up at the Cotton Bowl in Texas, where fans also turned their backs on the Mexican team.
The lowest attendance since 2019 in the U.S. was at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with 15,000 spectators for a 1-0 win over Panama. This demonstrated that the Tricolor does not always capture all the excitement, as evidenced by the 25,271 attendees at the Rose Bowl, which has a capacity of over 90,000.
It is hoped that under “Vasco” Aguirre, things will improve, and the disappointments of the last three coaching stints with Argentinians Gerardo “Tata” Martino and Diego Cocca, as well as Mexican Jaime Lozano, will be forgotten.
Source – laopinion
