Mind you, not like the dignified “Crying Indian” who sheds a single tear, or the stereotypical strong-men of old westerns who cleared their throats and sniffled with a quiet poise. Rather, I resembled the reprimanded child who constantly intercuts his bawling with a runny nose, chest heaving, and half-formed sentences.
I should have prepared myself for the inevitable. The pre-match coverage pointed towards a decisive Argentine victory. They were, of course, one of the tournament darlings. After their disastrous first-round exit in 2002, Jose Pekerman had instilled a new confidence in the Argentine side. Rather than play to historical stereotypes, Pekerman had his side engage in a game where they kicked the ball, and not opposition players.
With Juan Roman Riquelme anchoring the midfield, the Albiceleste played a distinctly South-American game premised on possession, passing, and elaborate runs. Maxi Rodriguez and Javier Mascherano worked the flanks, making space near the goalmouth for Riquelme to lay off balls for Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola. Undoing defenses with their deft touches and quality finishing, the Argentines had strolled through qualification, becoming the first South American side to qualify for the tournament after a capstone 3-1 victory against Brazil in Buenos Aries.
Mexico, for their part, had prospered under the leadership of Ricardo La Volpe. Once seen as a fringe side at international tournaments, a new depth and willingness to go forward had propelled Mexico to a 20-match unbeaten run which saw them rise to fourth in the world according to FIFA’s ranking system.
La Volpe’s preferred style of playing the flanks and pumping the ball into the box perfectly corresponded to Mexico’s strengths. Mexico’s first export to the UK, Jared Borgetti, provided height up front, while a youthful back-four including Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio, and Captain-Rafa Marquez, supplemented the offensive tendencies of midfielders Ramoncito Morales and Gonzalo Pineda.
As it sometimes happens, a wonderful combination of players came together at the right time and earned Mexico a deserved position amongst the eight-seeded nations for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, whereas Argentina rolled through the group stage, winning the hearts of neutrals in the process with their attractive play, Mexico stumbled.
Rather than exploit a favorable group, Mexico look unprepared and overconfident. A surprisingly precarious win over Iran, a nil-nil draw with Angola, and a 2-1 loss to Portugal gave them four points on the last day of the first round, just within striking distance for Angola. A probable 2-goal victory over Iran would have put Angola even with Mexico on points, but a 1-1 draw saw Mexico through to the second round.
Despite the hints that their obvious underperformance should have provided, I was confident in the days leading up to Mexico’s second round match with Argentina. Most everyone shared a similar confidence, but in an Argentine victory. The most prominent question surrounding the tie was not whether Mexico could upset Argentina, but rather, how many goals Argentina would score by the end of the first half. Nevertheless, my faith in the Mexican squad was unyielding, if a bit irrational.
From the first whistle, the game seemed set for an Argentine record-setter. Two last-gasp Mexican clearances in the first five minutes seemed to indicate that it would be a tortuous night for Mexico. Yet, in the fifth minute, fate grew frustrated with the folly of man’s expectations, and stuck a leg in Argentina’s path.
An Argentine foul near the corner of the box resulted in a Mexican free-kick. Pavel Pardo stepped up with all the confidence of a man with 125 caps, and sent the ball into the box where it was flicked on by Mario Mendez to an unmarked Rafa Marquez who slotted it past a bewildered Roberto Abbondanzieri.
While Jared Borgetti celebrated on the shoulders of the goal-scorer, the Argentine defense exchanged glances with one another, seeming to question whether the goal had actually occurred. Heinze seemed especially affected as he stood in the six-yard box looking for the guilty party who let Marquez streak into the box. (Hint, it was Heinze.)
I, of course, was ecstatic. My faith had seemingly been rewarded. The nervous ticks that develop whenever Mexico play vanished with a one-goal lead. However, just as I had become complacent with the pace of the game, so too did the Mexican defense, who only minutes later leaked in a goal due to disorganization in the six-yard box after a corner.
The equalizer lifted the game into the highest levels of football. Argentine demonstrations of class were immediately met by Mexican counter-attacks. Cambiasso would put Crespo through on goal in what had to give them the lead, only to be put on the back foot seconds later, as Mexican wing-play resulted in a number of chances for the looming Jared Borgetti.
As the teams grew more desperate, so too did the game grow more volatile. Near the end of the first half, Argentine keeper Abbondanzieri rolled the ball to Gabriel Heinze after a poor Mexican shot on goal. Kikin Fonseca leapt in front of Heinze, stole the ball and faced a clear opportunity on goal. However, before he was able to shoot, Heinze slid into the back of Fonseca and took him down with a cruel challenge. The referee gave Heinze a fortunate yellow, setting the tone for the second half in the process.
Chippy play continued, but so did the quality. End to end action saw Borgetti denied a clear opportunity by Abbondanzieri, while Javier Saviola met the same fate at the hands of Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez. After 90 minutes, even the introductions of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez couldn’t convince the fates to favor Argentina.
I still felt confident as extra-time began as dusk overtook the bright sky of Leipzig. I reasoned that the Argentine defense would eventually crumble without Cambiasso’s protection. I was unphased by the introduction of Messi and Tevez. We had brought in Gonzalo Pineda and Brazilian-born Zinha. They were in the same level of class, right?
Eight minutes after the start of extra-time, Maxi Rodriguez scored a goal that can’t be adequately described. A simple description would say that Rodriguez received a cross field pass at the corner of the box, chested the ball into the air, turned and volleyed the ball into the place where spiders live, ending Mexico’s hope of World Cup success. But that doesn’t sufficiently describe the irreconcilable beauty and distress caused by the impossible goal.
Understandably, the Mexican squad found themselves unable to respond to Rodriguez’ goal, and Argentina took the game 2-1. Mexico had lived up to the traditional phrase which characterizes Mexican squads: “they played better than ever, but lost like always.”
As the final whistle blew in Leipzig, my confidence evaporated and I realized tht Mexico had just been escorted out of the 2006 World Cup by Maxi Rodriguez. I was a mess.
Looking Back: Argentina (2) – Mexico (1) – World Cup 2006
- Maxi Rodriguez
It was 2:30 in the afternoon and I was crying.
Mind you, not like the dignified “Crying Indian” who sheds a single tear, or the stereotypical strong-men of old westerns who cleared their throats and sniffled with a quiet poise. Rather, I resembled the reprimanded child who constantly intercuts his bawling with a runny nose, chest heaving, and half-formed sentences.
I should have prepared myself for the inevitable. The pre-match coverage pointed towards a decisive Argentine victory. They were, of course, one of the tournament darlings. After their disastrous first-round exit in 2002, Jose Pekerman had instilled a new confidence in the Argentine side. Rather than play to historical stereotypes, Pekerman had his side engage in a game where they kicked the ball, and not opposition players.
With Juan Roman Riquelme anchoring the midfield, the Albiceleste played a distinctly South-American game premised on possession, passing, and elaborate runs. Maxi Rodriguez and Javier Mascherano worked the flanks, making space near the goalmouth for Riquelme to lay off balls for Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola. Undoing defenses with their deft touches and quality finishing, the Argentines had strolled through qualification, becoming the first South American side to qualify for the tournament after a capstone 3-1 victory against Brazil in Buenos Aries.
Mexico, for their part, had prospered under the leadership of Ricardo La Volpe. Once seen as a fringe side at international tournaments, a new depth and willingness to go forward had propelled Mexico to a 20-match unbeaten run which saw them rise to fourth in the world according to FIFA’s ranking system.
La Volpe’s preferred style of playing the flanks and pumping the ball into the box perfectly corresponded to Mexico’s strengths. Mexico’s first export to the UK, Jared Borgetti, provided height up front, while a youthful back-four including Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio, and Captain-Rafa Marquez, supplemented the offensive tendencies of midfielders Ramoncito Morales and Gonzalo Pineda.
As it sometimes happens, a wonderful combination of players came together at the right time and earned Mexico a deserved position amongst the eight-seeded nations for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, whereas Argentina rolled through the group stage, winning the hearts of neutrals in the process with their attractive play, Mexico stumbled.
Rather than exploit a favorable group, Mexico look unprepared and overconfident. A surprisingly precarious win over Iran, a nil-nil draw with Angola, and a 2-1 loss to Portugal gave them four points on the last day of the first round, just within striking distance for Angola. A probable 2-goal victory over Iran would have put Angola even with Mexico on points, but a 1-1 draw saw Mexico through to the second round.
Despite the hints that their obvious underperformance should have provided, I was confident in the days leading up to Mexico’s second round match with Argentina. Most everyone shared a similar confidence, but in an Argentine victory. The most prominent question surrounding the tie was not whether Mexico could upset Argentina, but rather, how many goals Argentina would score by the end of the first half. Nevertheless, my faith in the Mexican squad was unyielding, if a bit irrational.
From the first whistle, the game seemed set for an Argentine record-setter. Two last-gasp Mexican clearances in the first five minutes seemed to indicate that it would be a tortuous night for Mexico. Yet, in the fifth minute, fate grew frustrated with the folly of man’s expectations, and stuck a leg in Argentina’s path.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pMlG023aMk
An Argentine foul near the corner of the box resulted in a Mexican free-kick. Pavel Pardo stepped up with all the confidence of a man with 125 caps, and sent the ball into the box where it was flicked on by Mario Mendez to an unmarked Rafa Marquez who slotted it past a bewildered Roberto Abbondanzieri.
While Jared Borgetti celebrated on the shoulders of the goal-scorer, the Argentine defense exchanged glances with one another, seeming to question whether the goal had actually occurred. Heinze seemed especially affected as he stood in the six-yard box looking for the guilty party who let Marquez streak into the box. (Hint, it was Heinze.)
I, of course, was ecstatic. My faith had seemingly been rewarded. The nervous ticks that develop whenever Mexico play vanished with a one-goal lead. However, just as I had become complacent with the pace of the game, so too did the Mexican defense, who only minutes later leaked in a goal due to disorganization in the six-yard box after a corner.
The equalizer lifted the game into the highest levels of football. Argentine demonstrations of class were immediately met by Mexican counter-attacks. Cambiasso would put Crespo through on goal in what had to give them the lead, only to be put on the back foot seconds later, as Mexican wing-play resulted in a number of chances for the looming Jared Borgetti.
As the teams grew more desperate, so too did the game grow more volatile. Near the end of the first half, Argentine keeper Abbondanzieri rolled the ball to Gabriel Heinze after a poor Mexican shot on goal. Kikin Fonseca leapt in front of Heinze, stole the ball and faced a clear opportunity on goal. However, before he was able to shoot, Heinze slid into the back of Fonseca and took him down with a cruel challenge. The referee gave Heinze a fortunate yellow, setting the tone for the second half in the process.
Chippy play continued, but so did the quality. End to end action saw Borgetti denied a clear opportunity by Abbondanzieri, while Javier Saviola met the same fate at the hands of Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez. After 90 minutes, even the introductions of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez couldn’t convince the fates to favor Argentina.
I still felt confident as extra-time began as dusk overtook the bright sky of Leipzig. I reasoned that the Argentine defense would eventually crumble without Cambiasso’s protection. I was unphased by the introduction of Messi and Tevez. We had brought in Gonzalo Pineda and Brazilian-born Zinha. They were in the same level of class, right?
Eight minutes after the start of extra-time, Maxi Rodriguez scored a goal that can’t be adequately described. A simple description would say that Rodriguez received a cross field pass at the corner of the box, chested the ball into the air, turned and volleyed the ball into the place where spiders live, ending Mexico’s hope of World Cup success. But that doesn’t sufficiently describe the irreconcilable beauty and distress caused by the impossible goal.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WozHXbsAn9M
Understandably, the Mexican squad found themselves unable to respond to Rodriguez’ goal, and Argentina took the game 2-1. Mexico had lived up to the traditional phrase which characterizes Mexican squads: “they played better than ever, but lost like always.”
As the final whistle blew in Leipzig, my confidence evaporated and I realized tht Mexico had just been escorted out of the 2006 World Cup by Maxi Rodriguez. I was a mess.