Mexico manager Miguel "Piojo" Herrera once again fielded an experimental starting 11 that was lucky to end with a 1-1 draw in their pre-Copa America friendly against Peru.
El Tri's defense was easy to break, the midfield was nowhere to be found, and the strikers were left tracking back and failing to intercept the ball. Alfredo Talavera was one of the few saving graces for Mexico, but he himself was guilty of a small mistake when Peru scored their only goal in the game.
The introduction of a few substitutes helped El Tri control the match and later push for the equalizing goal. With a 1-1 draw in hand, Mexico will now travel to Brazil and take on the Pentacampeoes this Sunday in the squad's last friendly before the Copa America.
If one thing was made clear Wednesday night, it's that many fringe options on El Tri's Copa America roster failed to make a case for themselves.
Player Ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating.)
GK Alfredo Talavera, 8: Talavera deserves a higher grade, but failed to hold on to the ball that led to Peru's only goal. That being said, the goalkeeper kept Mexico in Wednesday's match. Were it not for the several saves that the Toluca player made, El Tri could have easily lost this match by a few goals.
DF Gerardo Flores, 6: The 29-year-old helped start plenty of Mexico's movement down the right flank, but was stopped on numerous occasions by Peru's midfield. He wasn't as dangerous as he was in the last match against Guatemala, but there seems to be promise for a decent showing at the Copa America.
DF Julio Dominguez, 5.5: Dominguez, along with the rest of the central defense, was Mexico's weakest point on the field. During the first 60 minutes of play, Peru had no trouble slicing through the Mexican backline. A loss in possession by Dominguez in the second half led to Peru's goal in the 62nd minute.
DF Rafael Marquez, 6.5: He proved Wednesday night that he still has the ability to create accurate long passes, but the veteran struggled to halt much of the Peruvian attack. The 36-year-old appears to be a guaranteed starter, but will likely need some defensive help that could compensate for Marquez's lack of pace.
DF Juan Carlos Valenzuela, 6.5: This should have been a lower score for Valenzuela, but the central defender scored Mexico's game-tying goal off a free-kick in the 76th minute. That being said, he wasn't nearly as bad as Dominguez in defense, but was still fairly easy to bypass for Peru's strikers.
DF Efrain Velarde, 4: Mexico's worst player by far, Velarde once again had no influence in the game and constantly lost possession of the ball. Adrian Aldrete will probably take over for the defender this Sunday against Brazil.
MF Javier Aquino, 7: During the first half, Aquino and Talavera had the only two positive performances for El Tri. Aquino did well with his interceptions and was dangerous with his runs going forward. It's difficult to assume he is a better option than Jesus Manuel Corona, but Aquino will be an excellent back-up.
MF Juan Carlos Medina, 5.5: He could do little to contain Peru's midfield. Medina was left chasing his opponent's attack throughout the match and looked lost in the middle of the field.
MF Marco Fabian, 5.5: With no guarantees for a starting role, Fabian should have had a bigger presence on the field for Mexico. He was non-existent on the pitch and didn't work well with the rest of the midfield for El Tri.
FW Raul Jimenez, 6: After Eduardo Herrera's two goals against Guatemala, Jimenez failed to showcase his own talent in the attack. Luckily for the Atletico Madrid striker, Enrique Esqueda had an even worse game up front. There is a chance that a Jimenez-Herrera partnership could start this Sunday for Mexico.
FW Enrique Esqueda, 5: The striker didn't have a single shot during his 71 minutes on the field. The Tigres player didn't work well with Jimenez and had too quiet of a game for Mexico in the attack.
Substitutions
DF Hugo Ayala, 7: Substituted for Marquez during halftime and took over as the long-ball distributor. He was decent with his clearances in the center of defense. In the future, Mexico could potentially thrive with Ayala and Marquez distributing balls going forward.
MF Javier Guemez, 7: Came on for Medina during the 59th minute. A massive upgrade over his predecessor in the defensive midfield role. Guemez helped control the midfield for and appears to be Mexico's best option as the lone defensive midfielder.
MF Jesus Manuel Corona, 8: It's tempting to think what Jesus Manuel Corona, who came on for Aquino during the 66th minute, could do if given the full 90. Corona was fantastic with his dribbling and completely changed the flow of Wednesday's match. The 22-year-old could be a standout player in the Copa America.
MF Luis Montes, 7.5: Substituted for Fabian during the 66th minute. Montes started to show signs of the player from early 2014 with his passing and movement with the ball. The 29-year-old assisted Mexico's goal through a free-kick in the 76th minute.
FW Eduardo Herrera, N/A: Substitute for Esqueda during the 71st minute.
DF George Corral, N/A: Substitute for Jimenez during the 88th minute.