Mexico, Poland neglect to underwrite as Guillermo Ochoa denies Robert Lewandowski first World Cup objective
Qatar's DOHA — On Tuesday, Mexico and Poland began their World Cup journey with a scoreless stalemate.
Mexico dominated possession and received loud cheers from the crowd at Stadium 974, which was jam-packed with 39,369 spectators, but they were unable to break through a defensive Polish team despite their efforts. A penalty in Poland's favour in the second half seemed poised to start the scoring but Guillermo Ochoa, the goalkeeper for Mexico, famously stopped Robert Lewandowski's shot in the 58th minute.
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After a stunning 2-1 victory over Argentina earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia is currently in first place in Group C with no goals and a point each.
2. Argentina is not enough far from by Poland or Mexico
Both Mexico and Poland fans were buzzing about not only their approaching game but also the news that group favourites Argentina had suffered an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia earlier in the day. The outcome was solidified.
Mexico and Poland each had a significant potential to put three points between themselves and the South American heavyweights in favour of Argentina.
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Both teams avoided playing aggressively throughout the draw and as a result have just a one-point lead over Argentina. At least one of the two will certainly regret missing the chance to earn three points on Tuesday, depending on how the already uncertain group stage plays out.3. El Tri experiences problems with goal scoring
Mexico's attack has had a concerning year, but sadly, Tuesday night's game felt like the perfect culmination of it. El Tri typically does an excellent job of holding possession and switching the field, as was seen against P
It was distressing to observe a dearth of serious goal-scoring possibilities and problems converting such opportunities despite their considerable amount of possession. El Tri's performance on Tuesday wasn't terrible, but if their attack doesn't improve, they won't stay long in the group stage.
Nevertheless, Raul Jimenez's entry into the game in the second half was a plus. The No. 1 striker for Mexico appeared to be close to full fitness during his brief time on the field after a protracted groyne injury.oland, but once in the final third, they frequently run out of options.
Player evaluations (best to worst, 1 to 10)
Mexico: Jesus Gallardo 7, Edson Alvarez 7, Hector Herrera 6, Luis Chavez 7, Hirving Lozano 8, Henry Martin 6, Jorge Sanchez 6, Cesar Montes 6, Hector Moreno 5, and Alexis Vega 7
Alternates: Uriel Antuna 6; Raul Jimenez 6; Carlos Rodriguez 6
Wojciech Szczsny scored seven goals, Bartosz Bereszyski five, Kamil Glik six, Jakub Kiwior seven, Matty Cash seven, Jab Kamiski six, Grzegorz Krychowiak seven, Sebastian Szymaski seven, and Robert Lewandowski five.
Arkadiusz Milik, 6, Krystian Bielik, 6, Przemyslaw Frankowski, 6.
Top and worst performers
Guillermo Ochoa excels.
Ochoa alone, then? The Club America goalie held tall and denied Lewandowski's chance to score a penalty at the game's pivotal moment.
Robert Lewandowski is the worst
The fact that he missed the penalty alone was disappointing, but so was his actual lack of offensive threat. Even though Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world, he didn't play like one on Tuesday.
1 - Poland are the first team to fail to convert 3 consecutive World Cup penalties (excl. shoutouts) since Opta collects this data (1966).
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 22, 2022
Prior to Lewandowski, K. Deyna (v Argentina in 1978) and M. Zurawski (v USA in 2002) had also seen their attempts saved. Oops. #MEXPOL pic.twitter.com/sHM6x7eZRU
Guillermo Ochoa becomes the second #MEX goalkeeper to save a penalty shot in a World Cup match and first since Oscar Bonfiglio during the inaugural 1930 World Cup. #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/DunvF73wNI
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2022
OCHOA BLOCKS LEWANDOWSKI'S PENALTY FOR MEXICO 😱🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/j9qO1Sodyt
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 22, 2022
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Following the game, players and managers spoke, including Mexico's Ochoa. "I haven't stopped a penalty in a while. I'm appreciative to assist the national team."
"I congratulate him [Ochoa] because he made an unbelievable save," said Poland's Szczesny.
Next up for Mexico is a meeting against Argentina on November 26 and a match against Saudi Arabia on November 30. Argentina will be vying for their first victory at the 2022 World Cup.
Poland: Lewandowski and company play the group C's top team, Saudi Arabia, on November 26. On November 30, they play Argentina in a decisive game.