Perhaps Mexico's corner kick goal convinced head coach Luis Fernando Tena that his team needed a bit more size. Giovani dos Santos, a midfielder who has been Mexico's most effective attacking player throughout the tournament, was withdrawn at halftime for Raul Jimenez. There's no indication that dos Santos had to leave the game because of an injury, though it wouldn't be surprising if news came out that he was hurt. Withdrawing him at the half for any other reason would be very odd.
Mexico Vs. Japan, 2012 Olympics: Giovani dos Santos Off For Raul Jimenez
Raul Jimenez, a big striker, is the man who has replaced him. At 6'3", he brings something different to the table, though that something different has never been 'goals'. He has just one goal in his previous appearances for Mexico Under-23, and he's only scored a couple of times for Club America. The move could make sense if Tena feels Japan is very susceptible to conceding on set pieces, but Mexico will probably have a harder time keeping the ball and creating set piece opportunities in the first place without dos Santos.
We have live coverage of this game and Brazil vs. South Korea in our London 2012 Olympics, men's soccer semifinals StoryStream.
See More:
