BALTIMORE — The Mexican national team got a major glimpse of its future on Saturday, Sept. 26, with 17-year-old Gilberto Mora scoring his first career senior goal in the team's debut under new manager Rafa Marquez, a 1-1 draw against Colombia.
Marquez, who captained Mexico as a player in five World Cups, took over from Javier Aguirre following this summer's tournament and was pleased with the effort his players put forward in the first match of a four-game United States tour, despite the draw.
"I think we all respect (Marquez) as the player he was and now our coach," Mexico's Obed Vargas said after the match. "I think he’s giving a chance to the process that Javier started. We started on the right foot."
Officially ushering in the 2030 World Cup
cycle for El Tri, Mora scored a dazzling equalizer in the second half, his first goal for the national team in his 14th senior appearance.
"We all know Gilberto's quality, now we have to try to take care of him, we have to try to protect him, we have to try to keep him developing," Marquez said after the match. "I have absolutely no doubt that he will continue to develop and will continue to give us many joys, and hopefully soon we can also see him in an important team in Europe."
Aguirre's pragmatic, defensive-minded style faced scrutiny but Marquez already downplayed the idea that he would immediately be able to institute a radically more progressive gameplan.
"I'd love to play like Barcelona, but you don't have the raw materials," Marquez told reporters a day before the match. "I adapt to what I have. I'm not going to impose a style."
Mexico looked dangerous on the counter in the draw against Colombia at M&T Bank Stadium, frequently finding space in behind the defense – squandering a few 1-on-1 chances in the process.
"I think we were superior in the first half, we had more chances than they did," Marquez said. "but well, "I think in general terms, the attitude, the dynamic that was imposed, the fact that we always tried to play the ball on the ground from the back as much as possible, and I think the team looked quite good."
Marquez, 47, made his senior debut for Mexico in 1997 at the age of 17 and played club ball in Mexico, France, Spain, MLS and Italy across a 20-year-career, winning UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona in 2006 and 2009. A defender and defensive midfielder, Marquez was an assistant under Aguirre before taking the big job.
After winning its four matches at the World Cup on home soil, Mexico lost to England at the Estadio Azteca in the round of 16, a hard-fought battle against the eventual bronze medalists. It was the eighth time in nine tournaments that El Tri had been eliminated from the World Cup at that stage.
Mexico's next test in the expanded international window is a friendly against Peru in New Jersey on Tuesday, Sept. 29 followed by exhibitions against the United States (Oct. 3, Arizona) and Chile (Oct. 6, Los Angeles).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Future is here for El Tri: Gilberto Mora scores in Rafa Marquez's coaching debut
