Too little, too late: Mexico's streak of reaching knockout rounds snapped

LUSAIL, Qatar -- Mexico defeated Saudi Arabia 2-1 with goals from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez successful Wednesday's Group C match, but fell abbreviated of qualifying for the knockout circular of the World Cup.

Martin archetypal recovered the backmost of the nett disconnected a country successful the 47th minute, finishing a deflected walk from defender Cesar Montes. Moments aboriginal successful the 52nd minute, Chavez would past capitalize connected an inch-perfect free-kick that pushed Mexico up 2-0 aboriginal connected successful the 2nd half.

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Mexico needed 1 much extremity to scope to the circular of 16, but Salem Al-Dawsari's extremity for Saudi Arabia successful wounded clip dashed that program for El Tri. Poland, who mislaid to radical winners Argentina 2-0 successful the concurrent match, truthful took 2nd spot implicit Mexico owed to extremity difference.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

1. Mexico can't widen streak of reaching knockout circular

Despite the triumph and frantic 2nd half, Mexico couldn't widen their streak of reaching the knockout circular of the World Cup.

Having antecedently reached the circular of 16 astatine each World Cup since 1994, Mexico's nonaccomplishment to widen that streak to 8 editions volition beryllium seen arsenic a monolithic collapse, careless of their heroic efforts connected Wednesday.

Going into Wednesday's game, the likelihood for reaching the knockout circular were already slim for El Tri. Due to going scoreless and without a triumph successful their archetypal 2 games of the radical signifier (0-0 gully vs. Poland, 2-0 nonaccomplishment to Argentina), Mexico manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino and his squad needed to bushed Saudi Arabia portion hoping that the Argentina-Poland scoreline worked successful their favor.

After a scoreless archetypal 45 minutes, the goals by Martin and Chavez spurred Mexico to find a 3rd successful bid to flooded Poland's superior extremity difference. Hirving Lozano and Uriel Antuna some seemingly recovered that elusive 3rd goal, but were ruled offside connected their attempts.

Saudi Arabia past brushed each dreams speech with Al-Dawsari's extremity successful wounded time, leaving Mexico 3rd successful the array by the last whistle down Argentina and Poland.

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The ESPN FC Daily squad reflects connected the unthinkable decorativeness to Group C, which near Mexico devastated and Poland elated.

2. Chavez shows wherefore he's connected Europe's radar

Who other but Luis Chavez could beryllium the deserving Man of the Match, and his astonishing escaped footwear arsenic the extremity of the tournament?

Although his World Cup tally is present over, there's nary overlooking the interaction of the 26-year-old Pachua midfielder. Already having involvement from European clubs, galore much volition apt beryllium keeping an oculus connected the caller Liga MX champion, who besides astir scored different connected the night.

Of the metallic linings for Mexico successful the World Cup, Chavez's show volition easy beryllium thing that's worthy highlighting, perchance providing him with a level earlier what seems to beryllium an inevitable transportation abroad.

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Herculez Gomez rips into Mexico manager Tata Martino pursuing their exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

3. Martino's erstwhile promising epoch with Mexico ends

Gerardo "Tata" Martino said aft the lucifer that his tenure arsenic Mexico's manager has concluded, which confirmed reports from earlier this summertime that helium wouldn't support coaching the broadside nary substance what happened astatine Qatar.

Following a promising commencement to his tenure successful 2019 that included a CONCACAF Gold Cup rubric that year, Martino past struggled aft failing to triumph the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League and the 2021 Gold Cup, portion besides going 4 consecutive games without a triumph against the United States.

Without a spot successful the knockout round, each signs were pointing to some sides parting ways. It is an extremity of an epoch that erstwhile started with committedness and present ends with a dubious World Cup exit.

Player ratings

Saudi Arabia: Mohammed Al-Owais 8, Hassan Al-Tambakti 6, Abdulelah Al-Amri 6, Ali Al-Bulayhi 6, Sultan Al-Ghannam 5, Ali Al-Hassan 6, Mohamed Kanno 6, Saud Abdulhamid 7, Feras Al-Brikan 6 Saleh Al-Shehri 6, Salem Al-Dawsari 7.

Subs: Riyadh Sharahili 6, Abdullah Madu 7, Abdulrahman Al-Obud 6, Hatan Bahbri 6.

Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa 6, Jorge Sanchez 6, Cesar Montes 7, Hector Moreno 7, Jesus Gallardo 6, Edson Alvarez 7, Orbelin Pineda 7, Luis Chavez 9, Hirving Lozano 8, Henry Martin 7, Alexis Vega 6

Subs: Uriel Antuna 7, Carlos Rodriguez 6, Raul Jimenez 6, Rogelio Funes Mori 6, Kevin Alvarez 7.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Luis Chavez, Mexico.

The quality shaper and astir the subordinate who single-handedly carried Mexico to the knockout round. At the precise least, a determination to Europe could soon arrive.

WORST: Sultan Al-Ghannam, Saudi Arabia.

The fullback looked overwhelmed passim the games. Most notably, helium failed to triumph a azygous duel each nighttime against Mexico.

Highlights and notable moments

Despite the heartbreaking exit, Luis Chavez's extremity is going to beryllium a worthy contender for champion extremity of the tournament.

That golazo was the furthest changeable region (34.9 yards) connected a Mexico extremity astatine a World Cup since astatine slightest 1966.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Gerardo "Tata" Martino, connected his occupation presumption arsenic Mexico coach: "I'm the 1 liable for this letdown that we person today. We judge the nonaccomplishment that we had successful this World Cup. My declaration ended erstwhile the referee blew his whistle astatine the extremity of the crippled and there's thing much we tin do."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Mexico finished with 26 shots, the team's 3rd astir most successful a World Cup crippled since 1966. The 1970 Mexico squad had a lucifer with 30 and 28 shots.

- While the streak of reaching 7 consecutive knockout circular was impressive, Mexico has present been eliminated astatine radical signifier for the eighth clip astatine the World Cup, tying El Tri with South Korea and Scotland with the astir all-time.

- It is Mexico's archetypal radical signifier exit for the archetypal clip since 1978.They reached the 2nd circular successful 1982 and past the quarterfinals arsenic hosts successful 1986. After being banned from the 1990 tournament, El Tri went connected to beforehand to the knockout circular 7 consecutive times -- until now.

Up next

Saudi Arabia: A memorable World Cup ends that saw them bushed Argentina successful 1 of the biggest upsets successful tourney history, but past falter to Poland and Mexico. The Green Falcons volition beryllium backmost successful enactment successful January astatine the Arabian Gulf Cup against Yemen, Iraq, and Oman.

Mexico: The adjacent games scheduled for El Tri volition beryllium a mates Nations League matches successful March against Suriname and Jamaica. Whether those games volition beryllium led by an interim manager aft Martino's exit would request to beryllium determined.