The many combinations that could give Mexico the pass were diluted as the 90 minutes of the game against Saudi Arabia progressed.
There was a moment of the game in which they even depended not only on the goals, but on the yellow and red cards.
This is an account of what went wrong and left the Mexican team out of the World Cup in Qatar despite the fact that, if analyzed coldly, what was supposed to be the ideal plan was done: lose with Argentina, draw with Poland and beat Saudi Arabia.
If Mexico achieved the budgeted results, then why didn’t it qualify?
- Argentina‘s second goal. Losing against Argentina was an expected result, however the other results in the group made it essential to lose by as few goals as possible. Lautaro Martínez’s goal as the game was about to end forced Mexico to beat Saudi Arabia by more goals than Poland had. That is, Poland beat Arabia 2-0, Mexico should win 3-0
- The yellow cards. Seven cards accumulated the Mexican team in the tournament. Today, when he was winning the game 2-0 and Argentina was beating Poland by the same score, he was still forced to score another goal because the Poles only had four cards. Mexico and Poland, at that moment, had the same points and the same goal difference, but Poland would have passed because they had fewer cards.
- Arabian goal. Although mathematically useless, the last goal that Mexico conceded in this World Cup tournament in Qatar, made Mexico drop in the general table in such a way that this performance in Qatar is the worst the team has had since 1978, the World Cup in Argentina. In that tournament, Mexico was thrashed by Germany, Tunisia and Poland.