Mexico won a friendly match and “Tata” Martino had a funny meeting with a journalist: “I would hug you”

After beat Peru 1-0 In a preparatory friendly for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where Mexico will face Poland, Argentina and Saudi Arabia, the coach of the Aztec team, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, had a funny exchange with a journalist.

Such was the surprise of the Rosario technician questioned for the strictly football content of the question who not only kept a smile on his face during his wording, but even said so I would also like to “hug” the journalist.

After appearing at the press conference, Antonio de la Torre of the Frontera de Tijuana newspaper began his question. Textually, he told him: “Asking him about the change of interiors, which he played with Luis Chávez and Carlos Rodríguez, is because he is looking, especially against Poland and Saudi Arabia, which are matches in which a priori will have more ball, that’s why the choice of them two “.

The former coach of Newell’s, Barcelona and those selected by Argentina and Paraguay have already done so He had a smirk on his face and nodded his head.when the reporter raised the second question: “The other question is whether you are looking for a ‘9’ that is more associative than more defining”.

Martino, grabbing a bottle of water he had on the table to release the tension, replied: “It took me four years to ask me this kind of question. Thank you and everything you said is as it is. Nothing to add”.

“I would like to hug you,” he told the press officer. He then interrupted the conference organizer to add, smiling again: “Next time I will go to Tijuana to give lectures“.

As Antonio de la Torre later told on his Twitter account, the Argentine coach has partially kept his promise. He didn’t give her the hug he promised, but at least he walked over to the end of the conference and shook her hand.

Martino’s Mexican team had a rather difficult path to reach the World Cup and it has received numerous criticisms from the press of that country.

The Argentine coach, on the other hand, admitted that the victory against Peru was necessary to change the dynamics of the team and lamented the controversy sparked by the absence from training on Friday.

“Being able to win gives us peace of mind,” said the coach at a press conference after the friendly, held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (California, United States).

“We understand that we have entered a dynamic that we had to change,” said the ‘Tri’ manager, who had played three friendlies in a row without winning or scoring a single goal.

Furthermore, he stated: “We will try to keep improvingbut now within a more positive dynamic because in the last year we would have ended up losing this type of matches “.

“We had a first half hour which we are very excited about. Maybe we couldn’t support it anymore, but we had a rival in front of us who could have been a perfect rival in the World Cup,” said Martino of the Peruvian team.

Mexico will debut in Qatar 2022 on November 22 against Poland at stadium 974, then will be measured against Argentina on the 26th at the Lusail stadium and the same scenario will complete its participation in Group C on 30 against Saudi Arabia.

An agonizing triumph against the new Peru

Hirving Lozano scored in the 85th minute the winning goal for the Mexican team, against a Peru that began a new era after the departure of Ricardo Gareca and the hiring as coach of Juan Reynoso.

Mexico, who will play another preparatory duel against Colombia in Santa Clara (California) on Tuesday, once again showed a worrying lack of offensive ideas but this time they managed to realize their only shot between the three sticks. Peru, on the other hand, did not realize any of its chances at the start of a new stage under Reynoso’s command.

Edson Álvarez, Ajax midfielder and Mexican reference in midfield, this time did not have at his side the veterans Guardado, reserved from the start, and Héctor Herrera, out of the team due to injury.

Just before half-time, it was thousands of Peruvian fans who made themselves heard to claim a penalty not awarded by defender Héctor Moreno.

The “Tri” saved the party with five minutes left in regulation time, when Álvarez tried to head into the corner and the ball went to the far post, where Hirving appeared to push the door and put an end to the over. 300 minutes of drought by the Mexican team.

With information from agencies.

IS