Mexico Vs. Ecuador 2011: 1-1 Full Time, El Tri Dangerous, But Produces Disappointing Result

Mexico had some of their best players put in great performance this afternoon in Seattle, but thanks to one defensive lapse and some poor finishing, they were only able to come away with a 1-1 draw against Ecuador despite being the better team for 90 minutes. Jose Torres Nilo scored early on a set piece for Mexico, appearing to set the tone for a big win, but Michael Antonio Arroyo’s 37th minute goal was the final tally of the evening.

In a friendly match ahead of a big competition, managers are looking much more for individual performances and chemistry than the overall result. In that respect, Chepo de la Torre will be happy. The midfield tandem of Gerardo Torrado and Israel Castro was outstanding, wingers Andres Guardado and Pablo Barrera were even better, and most encouragingly, Giovani dos Santos was very sharp off the bench.

That last point is most important, as Gio has not lived up to expectations so far in his career, while Sinha, the starter in his position, is 35 years old. The best thing that can happen to Mexico is a healthy and in-form Giovani dos Santos.

Aldo de Nigris was not sharp up top today, which is only mildly concerning given that Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez will start ahead of him in competitive fixtures. However, it is still a concern because Mexico has just two true center forwards on their roster, so it’s bad news if one of the two isn’t playing well.

Though they were outplayed, a slightly weakened, but still strong Ecuador side has some positives to take into upcoming friendlies and Copa America. Arroyo looked strong outside of his goal, while goalkeeper Maxi Banguera had a fantastic game.

For more on this game and Mexican football in general, visit SB Nation’s Mexican football blog FMF State Of Mind.