Siempre México: an old defeat, two very close crosses and a couple of surprisingly curious facts

The feeling that Mexico always gives us at the World Cup it is actually associated with two fairly recent holidays: Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.

Before there was a first fight, in the 1930 World Cup, with a 6-3 Argentine victory in Montevideo, with three goals from Guillermo Stábile, two from Adolfo Zumelzu and one from Francisco Varallo. That match was for the first round. The other two for the round of 16, again with Argentinian victories. That’s why Mexicans here in Qatar see today’s crossing as a historic opportunity to break the record.

But let’s go back to 2006. With José Pekerman as coach, Argentina came from a comfortable and at the moment brilliant group stage, with 2-1 against the Ivory Coast and 6-0 against Serbia and Montenegro, plus a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands. already classified.

Let’s stop at those two games. In Gelsenkirchen, against Serbia-Montenegro, Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut wearing the number 19 shirt. He came on for Maxi Rodríguez 30′ into the second half and scored his first goal with two to go, the sixth for the National team. In the following match, against the oranges, Leo fielded a team that made several changes.

In the round of 16 they played against Mexico, in Leipzig. Ricardo La Volpe was the coach of the Aztecs and the truth is that he put together a proposal that made the national team very complicated, to the point that it could only be unlocked in the extra session. Indeed, Mexico took the lead through a goal from Rafa Márquez after six minutes, Hernán Crespo equalized after ten minutes and the result went no further, with Mexico in a better position.

That match is the only one Lionel Scaloni has played at the World Cup, started at right back. There was also a collaborator of his, Roberto Ayala, as first central defender, and another, Pablo Aimar, who came on in the second half for Esteban Cambiasso. Messi also came on from the bench, in the 84th minute, for Javier Saviola. It was the day before Leo’s 19th birthday.

This match is certainly the best remembered, because it is defined with a fantastic left foot from Maxi Rodríguez in the 98th minute, when penalties seemed like the only possible way out.

Argentina went to the quarterfinals, where Germany was waiting for them. The famous clash in which Messi was left sitting on the substitutes bench. They drew 1-1 and the Germans won the definition on penalties 4-2. Argentina was eliminated.

Four years later we crossed Mexico again, always in the round of 16. The national team, led by Diego Maradona in a jacket and tie, played a perfect first phase: 1-0 against Nigeria, 4-1 against South Korea and 2-0 against Greece. On 27 June, two days after Messi’s 23rd birthday, they met in Johannesburg.

Argentina won 3-1 with two goals from Carlos Tevez (the first from clear forward position) and a great goal from Gonzalo Higuaín. Messi, Nicolás Otamendi and Ángel Di María were starters. Among the substitutes was Walter Samuel, another of Scaloni’s current assistants.

Subsequently, in the quarterfinals, the national team faced Germany again, who also eliminated them. This time with a sensational 4-0 in Cape Town.

At the World Cup there were three confrontations with Mexico, all with Argentine victories. In general statistics they have played 30 times, with 15 victories in the national team. 11 draws and just four defeats. 50 goals for and 27 against.

The last time faces were seen, Lionel Scaloni and Gerardo Martino were already on the bench. It was October 9, 2019, in a friendly match played in San Antonio, Texas. Argentina crushed Mexico: 4-0, with three goals from Lautaro Martínez and one from Leandro Paredes, from a penalty. And Messi didn’t play.