After a successful run in the Confederations Cup group stage, Mexico was thrashed by Germany in a 4-1 semifinal loss on Thursday. The defeat, which included two goals for the Germans within the first eight minutes, highlighted the fact that El Tri still has plenty to prove outside of the CONCACAF region.
Now, Mexico will need to look ahead to Sunday's third-place match against Portugal in Moscow. Although a win this weekend might help alleviate some pressure on El Tri manager Juan Carlos Osorio, the victory would likely feel bittersweet after the semifinal loss to Germany.
Positives
Difficult to think of very many positives for El Tri.
When looking at the stats, an optimist might bring up the fact that Mexico dominated possession and attacking momentum. In fact, Mexico racked up an impressive total of 26 shots against the Germans.
Yet, with only one goal in hand, one can't help but feel that Mexico was wasteful with its countless opportunities on net.
Negatives
Where to begin?
The defense was a mess, Osorio made questionable substitutions and the attack regularly failed to take advantage of its chances in the final third.
As mentioned earlier, the loss was also a harsh reminder that Mexico still needs to improve greatly in order to keep up with elite teams. Adding insult to injury, it's also worth noting that El Tri were beaten handedly by a backup German squad.
Manager rating (out of 10)
3.5 -- Osorio's insistence on using defenders in atypical positions truly hurt Mexico. Oswaldo Alanis, who typically plays as a more central-minded member of defense, was a weak link at left-back for Mexico.
The manager's substitutions must also be mentioned. Bringing off Jonathan dos Santos and Javier Aquino was highly questionable, especially when you consider that they were some of El Tri's best in the first half. Who knows if he would have made enough of an impact, but it's also fair to be bothered with Osorio's decision to leave Carlos Vela on the bench.
Player ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Guillermo Ochoa, 5.5 -- Most of the fault shouldn't be put on Ochoa for the loss, but the goalkeeper didn't do much to halt Germany's dangerous moments in the attack. The 31-year-old finished with a total of three saves in the defeat.
DF Miguel Layun, 4.5 -- Although he was a decent source of crosses in the attack, Layun was worrisome defensively. Germany had no trouble moving past the high-pressing right-back.
DF Nestor Araujo, 3.5 -- Araujo failed to take control of his area in the backline. The 25-year-old was also constantly very poor with his marking.
DF Hector Moreno, 3 -- Arguably one of Mexico's worst players. Moreno, who looked shell-shocked after the two early goals, was awful with his decision-making.
DF Oswaldo Alanis, 3 -- Who is more to blame for Alanis' poor performance? The player or Osorio for placing him at left-back? Either way, he was a weak link that was constantly exploited by the Germans.
MF Jonathan dos Santos, 6.5 -- The hard-working midfielder was one of Mexico's few bright spots in the starting XI. The 27-year-old was a decent source of smart passing and distribution going forward for El Tri.
MF Hector Herrera, 5 -- Herrera had occasional moments of brilliance with his runs forward but wasn't the defensive midfielder that Mexico needed. Whether the Porto player can maintain this role, is up in the air.
MF Giovani dos Santos, 4 -- Other than a few threatening passes in the attack, Giovani looked lost as Mexico's attack-minded midfielder. An uninspiring performance from the LA Galaxy player.
FW Raul Jimenez, 5.5 -- Another player who was given the start in an atypical position. The striker, who was fairly quiet for most of the game as a winger, nearly scored off a header that hit the crossbar.
FW Javier Hernandez, 4.5 -- An off-day for the Mexican star who should have been able to find the back of the net at least once. Hernandez was underwhelming with his presence in the attack for El Tri.
FW Javier Aquino, 6.5 -- Another decent performance that was cut short by Osorio. Given more time, it wouldn't have been surprising if the agile and quick Aquino played a part in a goal for Mexico.
Substitutes
FW Hirving Lozano, 6 -- Substituted in for Aquino at half-time. Nearly had an assist off a well-timed cross to Jimenez. That said, he was far too reserved on the left wing.
MF Marco Fabian, 7 -- Substituted in for Giovani dos Santos during the 63rd minute. Fabian scored Mexico's lone goal off an incredible shot from distance.
MF Rafael Marquez, 5 -- Substituted in for Jonathan dos Santos during the 67th minute. Not much to say about the veteran who constantly appeared a step behind Germany.