The title says it all, Mexico lost 7-0 to Chile’s national team in Copa America Centenario’s final quarterfinal match up, and it is single handedly the worst loss for the Mexican National Team in all its history within Copa America participations. Mexico lost 7-0 in front of 70,547 TRI fans, who congregated at the Levi Stadium in Santa Clara. The Mexican fans began to leave the stadium early as soon as Mexico had allowed 4 goals in the 52nd minute.
The goals kept on coming. Like a bad dream that you are unable to wake up from. Mexico could barely muster 40% possession in the entire 90 minutes. Mexico had only 1 shot on goal in 90 minutes, also a meager 75% passing completion rate. The Mexican midfield was ran off the field.
Juan Carlos Osorio felt Mexico was still in the game, after all, Mexico was down 0-2 at halftime. He made 2 substitutions, took out Duenas and Chuky Lozano and debuted Gullit Pena and brought on Raul Jimenez. These changes had an immediate impact, by Mexico allowing 3 goals at the beginning of the 2nd half and be down 5-0. Clearly Mexico was done for, so Osorio took out an attacker, Tecatito Corona for a defender, Diego Reyes. That did not help, and Chile went on to score 2 more goals and the humiliation had come full circle for the Mexican National Team.
At this point, what does one do, in the same shoes as Juan Carlos Osorio. Coming from the hottest winning streak in Mexican history, to crashing 7-0 to the 5th ranked team in the world, Chile? You go on a apology tour of course. Most all the players, including Chicharito, who has been avoiding the press and mix zones in previous Copa America Centenario Matches, was the first to come out of the locker room and apologize to the fans via the press. Then one after another, national team member came and said sorry. They gave us their reasons, they said they backed the coach and that they trust him completely. They all sang the same song and dance.
Santiago Banos who is the sporting director for the Mexican National Team also came out, and declared that coming from a record winning streak, to this loss of this magnitude, it can be considered an accident of Futbol. Almost hinting at this will never happen again. He also stated that he backs Juan Carlos Osorio, and that there is no plan B to replace Osorio.
Maybe Mexico needed this painful defeat. This generation has been dubbed, the most talented in our storied history of this National team. Maybe we need to fall, to taste rock bottom. Another door closed for the Mexican National team. Let us ride into the sunset, until a new opportunity arrives for Mexico to rise once again, and other doors open in 2017 and 2018.
