Mexico are bossing the final few moments of the match, refusing to accept a draw and pushing forward to find the goal that will, at this stage, almost certainly secure the victory. El Tri have the ball in midfield, but with less than a minute left, can they dig deep and find the difference?
90' +1
The fourth official has indicated there will be an additional two minutes for stoppages at the end of the match.
85'
Giovani dos Santos gets through on goal after latching onto a ball played over the top of the Wales defence by Marco Fabian. His first touch is heavy and takes him to the right of the goal, and Hennessey once again does fantastically well to close down the angle and make himself as big as possible to make the crucial stop – five minutes from full time.
83'
Jose Corona makes what seems like his first save of the match after a lovely bit of interchange gets Matthew Smith through on goal, but the ball rolls just a little too far in front of the newly introduced substitute and the Mexican goalkeeper makes the diving grab.
81'
M. Smith enters the game and replaces T. Lawrence.
Matthew Smith also receives his first senior international cap for Wales, as the Manchester City youth prospect enters the game with nine minutes to play, taking the place of Tom Lawrence.
76'
Jurgen Damm involves himself for the first time since coming on, rifling a shot on target from a long way out but the shot is sent directly to Hennessey who drops to his knees in the process of making the catch.
74'
M. Fabián enters the game and replaces É. Gutiérrez.
Erick Gutierrez, who was just shown a yellow card, is substituted out for creative midfielder Marco Fabian.
Jonathan dos Santos takes a corner to the near post but no Mexican striker is anywhere near the ball and Wales clear downfield.
71'
É. Gutiérrez gets yellow.
Erick Gutierrez is shown Mexico’s first caution of the match for a cynical challenge in midfield.
69'
G. dos Santos enters the game and replaces J. Corona.
Jesus Corona, who dominated defenders earlier in the match has seen his influence wane since the restart, and he will be replaced by another tricky attacker - Giovani dos Santos.
66'
A. Ramsey gets yellow.
Aaron Ramsey is shown the first yellow card of the match for a terribly timed slide tackle from behind on Edson Alvarez. Luckily the Mexican defender is not injured, as that challenge looked particularly crunching.
Minute
Description
64'
G. Thomas enters the game and replaces H. Wilson.
Harry Wilson’s match is done, as Leicester City’s George Thomas comes on for the final 25 minutes in what is his senior international debut.
Jonathan dos Santos takes a Mexico corner from the right but Chris Mepham is first to the aerial ball and clears the danger with a towering header.
62'
The corner is put right on the edge of the six-yard box and Alvarez is first to meet it, but he directs his close-range header just inches wide of the target!
61'
J. dos Santos enters the game and replaces H. Herrera.
Hector Herrera is coming off with Jonathan dos Santos coming in as his replacement. The Mexico captain had a decent match today, but he should really be disappointed with his inability to finish – as he had a number of close-range attempts to break the deadlock.
60'
Hector Herrera takes a free-kick from well outside the penalty area directly on goal, forcing Hennessey to tip the ball over the crossbar and out for a corner-kick.
59'
O. Peralta enters the game and replaces J. Hernández.
Javier Hernandez of West Ham is taken out on the hour mark, with Juan Carlos Osorio opting to send Oribe Peralta into the fray.
58'
Herrera again squanders an opportunity! Gallardo gets free on the left and sends a centring pass into the penalty area which Herrera gets to first, however, he is unable to get his shot off before the red Welsh jerseys surround him and close down space.
56'
HOW DID HERRERA NOT SCORE!? The Mexico captain gets on the end of a long ball sent from defence and frees himself from the Welsh backline before going in on goal all alone against Hennessey. The goalkeeper does brilliantly well once again to get off his line quickly and close down the angle. Though Herrera had the whole net to aim at, he struck the stomach of the keeper – and it remains 0-0.
54'
Ryan Giggs becomes the third different Welsh manager to lead his county against Mexico, after Jimmy Murphy and Chris Coleman.
51'
Erick Gutierrez sends a chipped ball for Javier Aquino who gets on the end of it but is unable to beat his man just inside the left-hand corner of the penalty area. Instead, the striker sends a cross into the centre of the box but a Welsh defender is first to it.
49'
The second half should see a raft of changes with both managers looking to test the depth of their squads. Perhaps the bench will provide the spark necessary to break the deadlock, though oftentimes a number of changes can disrupt the flow and fluidity of a match.
46'
D. John enters the game and replaces J. Ledley.
C. Salcedo enters the game and replaces O. Alanís.
C. Roberts enters the game and replaces C. Gunter.
J. Damm enters the game and replaces J. Molina.
D. Brooks enters the game and replaces S. Vokes.
The second half begins with a substitution for Mexico, as Owaldo Alanis is taken off in favour of Carlos Salcedo.
Juan Carlos Osorio makes a second switch before the restart of play, with Jurgen Damm entering the match in place of Jesus Molina.
Wales get the match underway once again from the kick-off!
Sam Vokes is removed in Ryan Giggs’ first substitution of the match. David Brooks will come on as his replacement.
A second change is forthcoming from Wales who choose to send Connor Roberts on to take Chris Gunter’s position.
Derby County’s Joe Ledley will also take a seat on the bench, with Declan John sent in for the second half.
45' +4
HALF-TIME: Mexico 0-0 Wales.
45' +2
The fourth official indicates there will be four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
45' +1
Jesus Corona jinks his way past two defenders as he once again cuts inside, and sends a pass looking for Gallardo on the left. The winger puts in a centring pass towards the penalty spot, but Chris Gunter makes the clearance.
44'
Ben Davies uses a nice move to get free from his marker and then wins a free-kick on the left-hand side after being taken down. The set-piece is taken short and, after a couple of impressive one-two passes, the attack breaks down as the final ball from Harry Wilson is overhit.
42'
Hector Herrera attempts to switch the play from right to left but the pass is cut out in midfield by Andy King and Wales look to break quickly from the change of possession – but the Mexican backline are aware of the danger and once again win back the ball.
39'
Play resumes from a Hennessey goal-kick as Aaron Ramsey immediately signals to the referee that he is ready to enter the field of play and continue. Perhaps Ryan Giggs will give Ramsey the final seven minutes of the half to see if he can shake it off before making a decision at the interval.
37'
David Brooks is up on the sideline getting loose as play is stopped for an injury to Aaron Ramsey. The medical staff are currently taping his left ankle, and it remains to be seen whether the Arsenal midfielder can continue.
36'
Beautiful vision from Jesus Corona who once again cuts inside from his position on the right. This time, the tricky winger looks to play Chicharito in on goal – but the pass is hit slightly too hard and the ball rolls out for a goal-kick.
35'
The routine works as Wales win another free-kick, this time a lot closer to goal, just outside the penalty area on the left-hand side. Ramsey squares the ball along the edge of the 18-yard box instead of swinging it in which, in hindsight, is an extremely poor decision as the Mexican defence immediately notices the ploy, and cut out the danger.
33'
Wales finally win the ball back and are forced to go back to the defence before moving forward again. Andy King gets on the ball and is abruptly fouled from behind. The restart is quick, but instead of launching it long, Ryan Giggs’ side take it short and look to work an opportunity.
31'
Mexico are passing in neat little triangles, getting by the Welsh defenders with relative ease before switching play to the other side. Molina picks up possession mid-stride and cuts inside before taking a weak strike at goal which Hennessey has no trouble with.
28'
This is almost a home match for Mexico as the raucous Rose Bowl is filled primarily with supporters of El Tri. The party atmosphere pre-match has continued well into the game despite the lack of goals.
23'
ALMOST FOR AQUINO! Javier Aquino latches on to a loose ball and bursts through the Welsh defence before firing a shot at Hennessey, who comes out to meet the Mexican striker well. That’s great box command from the Crystal Palace shot-stopper to keep the score level.
21'
T. Lockyer enters the game and replaces A. Williams.
Confirmation of the change, as Ashley Williams is removed, with Tom Lockyer coming on in his place.
19'
Ashley Williams is looking in serious discomfort as the medical staff are helping him off the pitch. That’s not great to see – especially in a friendly match.
17'
Play is stopped as Ashley Williams is receiving treatment for what looks to be an injured shoulder. The Wales captain is limping off the pitch slowly, and it looks like there is some action on the sideline – Ryan Giggs may be forced into an early change here.
15'
Wales win a free-kick on the left touchline after Edson Alvarez fouled Tom Lawrence who was in possession. Davies is over the ball but he taps it quickly to Lawrence to change the angle of the cross, but the delivery is poor and no Welsh player in the box can get on the end of it.
12'
Mexico are once again in possession, passing it around confidently before slowly advancing. One concern for manager Osorio is how deep Chicharito is being forced to drop in order to get on the ball. No doubt that Javier Hernandez’s best work comes close to the goalmouth, so Mexico should look to move their talismanic striker further up the pitch.
9'
Jesus Corona is once again involved as he wins a free-kick in midfield after shielding the ball against two pressing Welsh defenders. Corona has looked extremely dangerous on the right-hand side so far in this match – could he be the one to break the deadlock?
6'
FANTASTIC STRIKE BY JESUS CORONA! The Mexican wide player cuts inside and, after being unable to find a teammate, opts to go for goal himself with a sweetly struck left-footed curler which Hennessey meets with his fingertips after a fantastic stretching dive. Unfortunately for El Tri, the ensuing corner is cleared confidently by Wales.
4'
Wales break through the middle of the Mexican midfield but Sam Vokes’ ill-advised cutback pass is intercepted by a Mexican defender and put out for a Welsh throw-in which they use to cycle the ball in midfield and back to the goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
2'
Mexico win the first corner of the match after a good bit of possession leads to a Jesus Molina opportunity to cross, but the ball is cut out and put behind for a corner. The set-piece is taken to the near post, but Wales do well to clear the danger.
1'
Mexico get the match underway!
Good evening and welcome to our live commentary of the international friendly between Mexico and Wales from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California!
This is the first of Mexico’s three warm-up matches before making the trip to Russia where they open their World Cup against the holders – Germany. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio will use this fixture against Wales, as well as their following match against Scotland, to whittle down his 28-man squad to the 23 who will compete in Mexico’s seventh-consecutive appearance in a World Cup.
The Mexican national side have made it out of the group stage in every World Cup since they last failed to qualify in 1990. This time around, El Tri face a difficult task to qualify from a group that features playoff-winners Sweden, the Korea Republic and current world champion Germany. The last time Mexico saw any of these sides in FIFA’s quadrennial tournament was 1998 – where Mexico faced Korea in the group and were eliminated by Germany in the knock-out phase.
On the other side, Wales are playing their first international match since a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in the China Cup. The Welsh World Cup campaign ended in bitter disappointment, with Chris Coleman’s side missing out on a playoff berth to rivals Ireland. Since then, Ryan Giggs has been appointed manager – a reign that started with a thumping 6-0 victory over Marcello Lippi’s China.
Not participating in the World Cup does not render this friendly meaningless for the Welsh, who begin the newly instated UEFA Nations League at the beginning of September, with matches against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark in quick succession.
Today will also give Ryan Giggs a chance to look at a host of new and inexperienced international call-ups as the manager has left Joe Allen, James Chester, Ben Woodburn, Danny Ward and Champions League winner Gareth Bale – who scored two fantastic goals in Real Madrid’s victory over Liverpool – at home.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, it’s about time we take a look at how the two sides will line up today!
Mexico Substitutes: Jurgen Damm, Giovani dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Jonathan dos Santos, Marco Fabian, Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Salcedo, Hirving Lozano, Oribe Peralta, Raul Jimenez.
Mexico Starting XI (4-4-2): Jose Corona; Hugo Ayala, Oswaldo Alanis, Jesus Gallardo, Edson Alvarez; Jesus Molina, Hector Herrera, Erick Gutierrez, Jesus Corona; Javier Hernandez, Javier Aquino.
Wales Substitutes: Adam Davies, Tom Lockyer, Chris Maxwell, David Brooks, Ryan Hedges, Connor Roberts, Matthew Smith, Lee Evans, George Thomas, Jazz Richards, Declan John, Tom Bradshaw.
Wales Starting XI (3-4-3): Wayne Hennessey; Chris Mepham, Ashley Williams, Ben Davies; Chris Gunter, Harry Wilson, Andy King, Aaron Ramsey; Tom Lawrence, Sam Vokes, Joe Ledley.
Only two players who started for Mexico in their last international against Croatia are in the starting line-up, with Hugo Ayala and Javier Hernandez retaining their places. A switch from a 3-4-3 to a 4-4-2 sees a number of personnel changes which starts with Jose Corona replacing Guillermo Ochoa. A back four sees Oswaldo Alanis, Jesus Gallardo and Edson Alvarez start instead of Hector Moreno, Nestor Araujo and Andres Guardado. Jesus Molina, Hector Herrera, Erick Gutierrez and Jesus Corona replace Jorge Hernandez, Omar Govea, Rodolfo Pizzaro and Hirving Lozano in midfield, while striker Javier Hernandez partners today with Javier Aquino instead of Carlos Vela.
It’s a bit more stability in the offing from Ryan Giggs, who maintains Wales’ traditional three-man defensive shape and makes only four alterations. James Chester makes way for Chris Mepham in defence, while Aaron Ramsey takes up a position in midfield, replacing Joe Allen who is unavailable for selection today. In attack, Tom Lawrence and Joe Ledley will support main striker Sam Vokes, replacing Gareth Bale and Declan John respectively.
The teams are out in the California sun for the national anthems. Kick-off should follow shortly!
It has been a difficult half for Wales, who have created very little going forward. Mexico have controlled the game from the first moment and should be in the lead if it weren’t for some heroic saves from Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
It’s also bad news for Ryan Giggs as he was forced to substitute his captain midway through the first half after what looked to be a shoulder or collarbone injury. Aaron Ramsey also felt a knock and received treatment on his ankle – which the manager cannot be happy about.
Jesus Corona has looked extremely potent on the right-hand side, with no Welsh defender unable to stop his crafty runs inside. Though the service to Aquino and Chicharito has not always been on-par, the build-up play certainly has been as the wings are constantly being exploited.
FULL-TIME: Mexico 0-0 Wales.
Ryan Giggs will certainly demand more from his side offensively going forward, but at the back, Wales looked relatively organised and composed. They did well stopping the more creative elements of Mexico’s attack but occasionally succumb to trickery in wide positions.
The substitutions did, in fact, break up the flow of the match as both managers used their squads thoroughly throughout the second half. The second period of play was a lot choppier, though Mexico had more than enough chances to break the tie. Captain Hector Herrera had, on two occasions, a one-on-one with Wayne Hennessey, but Welsh man of the match did what was required every time of asking.
That is all for our commentary of the pre-2018 World Cup international friendly between Mexico and Wales from Pasadena. We hope you enjoyed the game and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
Juan Carlos Osorio was probably hoping that this match would give him more answers as to the five players he will leave behind before heading to Russia, but El Tri still have one more match before the squad-naming deadline. Next up for Mexico is a friendly against Scotland at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, while Wales do not take the pitch again until the 6th of September when they kick-off their UEFA Nations League group with a match against the Republic of Ireland.
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