The Benfica forward Raúl Jiménez scored a goal in the 13th minute to give Mexico a 0-1 victory over Poland, in their last match of 2017, which served as preparation for the World Cup in Russia for both teams.
Jiménez was the hero of the game, which gave Mexico a good result on their short tour of Europe, where they drew 3-3 with Belgium three days ago.
The match started with four degrees Celsius in the Gdansk Arena, where the locals came out without their main figure, forward Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich, while Mexico played without Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Giovanni Dos Santos, Hector Herrera, and Edson Alvarez, who were injured.
The Mexicans under Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio took the initiative against the sixth-ranked team in the world, and in the 5th minute, Raúl Jiménez created the first dangerous chance, but missed a clear opportunity to score.
In the 13th minute, Jiménez put Mexico ahead by taking control of a rebounded ball and scoring with his left foot, making the difference in a match that was at times boring.
Poland tried to take control of the ball without losing their shape at the back. In the 20th minute, Tomasz Kedziora missed with a shot outside the box, and in the 33rd minute, Krzystof Maczynski played a ball to Piotr Zielinski, who lacked accuracy.
In the second half, the Poles came out determined to turn the score around. In the 51st minute, Maciej Rybus got into the box and took a low shot, but goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona closed the angle and deflected the ball with his foot to a corner kick without consequences.
In addition to maintaining their defensive order against an offensive rival, Mexico looked for spaces, and in the 79th minute, Oribe Peralta entered the box but missed the goal.
Mexico held up well in the final minutes and preserved the victory, which equalled the historical series with Poland. They now have three wins each and one draw. Poland, who drew 0-0 with Uruguay last Friday, seemed far from the dominant team in their World Cup qualifying group and will be a seeded team in the draw for Russia 2018.
Follow the minute-by-minute of Poland vs Mexico
Poland vs Mexico – Lineups
Poland: To be confirmed.
Mexico: To be confirmed.
Stadium: Energa Gdańsk.
Time: 02:45 p.m. (Peruvian time).
Broadcasting channels:
- Mexico: UnivisionTDN, Azteca 7, TDN.
- Poland: TVP Sport Live, TVP Sport.
- United States: Univision.
Poland vs Mexico – Preview
The Mexican national team will face Poland in their second friendly match of their tour in Europe.
The Mexican team, led by Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, drew with Belgium with a brace from Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano and a goal from Andrés Guardado, while Romelu Lukaku scored twice and Eden Hazard opened the scoring for the Europeans.
Meanwhile, Poland drew 0-0 with Uruguay midweek, so they will be looking to get back on track against the Aztecs.
Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, and Edson Alvarez are injured and will not be available to play on Monday with the Mexican national team against Poland in a friendly match.
According to the medical report from the Tri, 'Chicharito' Hernandez, from West Ham in England, has a discomfort in his left posterior thigh, which is the reason why he left the field in the 3-3 draw against Belgium at the King Baudouin Stadium.
'Chicharito', who was playing his 100th match with the national team that day, did not travel with the squad to Gdansk and has returned to his club.
The midfielder Herrera, from Porto in Portugal, left the match against the Belgians with pain, and the examinations carried out in Brussels indicate that he has inflammation in the muscle-tendon zone of the hamstring, which is why he has been released from the Tri.
Alvarez, from Club America in Mexico, has a postraumatic sprain in his left foot and has already returned to Mexico City, where he will begin the recovery process.
Poland vs Mexico – Statements
Juan Carlos Osorio, coach of Mexico: "We consider this match as another test in our preparation for the World Cup. We can draw conclusions from all the matches and all the opponents allow us to learn lessons."
With information from EFE