HOUSTON -- Mexico interim coach Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti was satisfied with his team's performance against Uruguay on Friday at NRG Stadium, but not the 4-1 result.
Ferretti picked a squad with an average age of just 24 to face a strong Uruguay team, for who Luis Suarez scored twice and was named man-of-the-match.
"Of course, the result was bad, no one is satisfied with losing 4-1," said Ferretti in a news conference after the match. "But if we put the result to one side and then [look] at the football, I think that football-wise I can be calm because I think they did okay.
"We knew about the strength of the Uruguayan team through the air. Two of the four goals came from that, as well as the penalty, and that's where we suffered most. In 90 minutes I think the players did reasonably well."
Ferretti handed debuts to Diego Lainez, Jesus Angulo, Roberto Alvarado and Victor Guzman and said he understood beforehand that it would be a tough ask against Uruguay with such a young squad.
"It gives me a lot of happiness because what I'd mentioned during the week was proven in the second half with a good game and chances at goal, but we didn't finish," said Ferretti. "'What if' doesn't exist, but I think we did well."
Reports about the Mexican federation attempting to convince Ferretti to leave Tigres and take the Mexico national team job on a permanent basis have continued this week, despite the 64-year-old Brazilian previously ruling it out.
But the current Tigres boss indicated Friday that he enjoys working with players regularly and would be denied that if he took over a national team.
"I like to fulfill my contracts and to work daily on the pitch and here [with the national team] I won't have that opportunity," said Ferretti. "That's difficult. I've not stopped doing it in 28 years. My club would have to fire me."
Ferretti also confirmed that he would be making a number of changes to the starting line-up for Tuesday's game against the United States in order to give the whole of his 24-player squad playing time this international window.