Fans had been waiting for it all night. Finally, Gilberto Mora entered the field in Harrison, New Jersey.
Many in attendance at the home of the New York Red Bulls
held signs referencing Mora and had been chanting the name of Mexico's new No. 10, hoping he'd check in to El Tri's friendly against Peru. The 17-year-old scored his maiden El Tri goal over the weekend after becoming a star at the 2025 Gold Cup and 2026 World Cup.The problem? The fans were gone by the time Mora stepped onto the field.
Mora and other players who rested took the pitch only for light work after the match, with Mora wearing a long-sleeved warm-up jacket on top of his white match shorts.
Without Mora, Mexico was able to secure a 1-1 draw with Peru, but the wait continues for
the first victory with Mexico legend Rafa Marquez overseeing the team as manager.
Here are three things we learned from El Tri's draw with Peru:
Rafa Marquez wasn't kidding about taking care of Gilberto Mora - or other stars
The coach was clear that he feels a responsibility to make sure the teenage sensation doesn't have too much on his shoulders, being it a heavy physical load or the expectations those cheering fans are putting on his shoulders.
"We all now know about Gilberto's quality. You have to try to take care of him, for him to develop," Marquez said after the Colombia game. "He's still very young. Among all of us, we're going to do everything possible for him to continue growing."
That seemed to include not even giving Mora a cameo, as he had the night off against Peru, to the frustration of many fans in the building.
Far from being protective of simply Mora, however, Marquez also rested other players who look to be key men in the years leading to the 2030 World Cup. Mora was able to converse on the bench for the entire match with center back Johan Vasquez, forward Armando "Hormiga" Gonzalez and midfielder Erik Lira if he liked.
FUE UN GOLAZO Y MORITA LO SABE 👌🏻😮💨
— MedioTiempo (@mediotiempo) September 30, 2026
Así festejó Gilberto Mora el empate de México 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/1vbGLaVWHi
Why? In part because Marquez wanted to give others an opportunity. He might also be prioritizing Saturday's match against the United States. Marquez is part of the generation of players who remember when every meeting between the North American rivals mattered, whether it be a friendly in the first window after a World Cup or a do-or-die qualification game.
Rafa Marquez's halftime conversation might have worked
El Tri looked like a totally different side after the break, and the energy it came out with in the second half almost immediately paid dividends.
Denzell Garcia teed up Victor Guzman on a set piece, with the center back heading in the equalizing goal Mexico needed.
"We trained it very little because of time, but it was a play we drew up in that way," Guzman told TUDN after the match.
Even after the goal, there continued to be a good burst from Mexico, only for the game to slow down as both teams made changes and fouls continued to chop up the action.
Marquez has already taught the group "a lot of things," the Rayados defender continued. "I think as the defense we have the advantage of having a manager who played there and can get the best out of us."
There's no doubt players have respect for Marquez, one of the best ever to put on the Mexico national team shirt. But he'll need to get the balance right to be able to get the most out of his team and leverage that respect as well as possible.
The El Tri player pool might prove concerningly shallow
The veterans who were supposed to provide some leadership to this green group weren't able to give a spark. That might not be a shock.
Orbelin Pineda, who wore the captain's armband, was asked to play a position different from what he does with current club Rayados and had to try to rely on speed that is no longer in his 30-year-old legs. Alvaro Fidalgo, so assured with Club América, looked much less certain as he enters the international break in a reserve role with Real Betis.
But those are the types of players Marquez wants to be able to lean on if there are injuries, suspensions or a need for a change of pace.
"With a lot of players who hadn’t played together, it was tough at times," Guzman said. "We have to be patient. This is a project that is just getting started."
That's certainly true. Yet, this is a Peru team that was thumped 4-1 by the U.S. The U.S. was playing many of its best players - but many of its actual top players are not on the roster.
That's not the case for Marquez, with only the injured Raul Jimenez, struggling Edson Alvarez and attackers Alexis Vega – potentially retiring from international play – and Julian Quiñones the only sure-fire players who missed this window.
Yet, many of the young players he hoped would shine didn't take advantage of the opportunities they were given.
"I wanted to see players in these types of games and situations. It’s part of the process," Marquez said in his post-match news conference. "I want to see young players to see their potential, see what they need to keep developing. There obviously are things to improve with only a bit of time to have improved, but I’m happy and satisfied but we have to keep working."
Mexico will have a chance to square off with the U.S. and measure itself up against its top regional rival ahead of official matches in November and March. It might need to hope that its depth isn't tested in those windows – or that additional options emerge.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marquez serious about protecting Mora: 3 things we learned from Mexico-Peru draw
