Mexico's young and inexperienced side were inferior for much of the night and fell 0-2 to River Plate at the Estadio Monumental.
El Tri suffered in the first half, struggling to string together more than three passes. River Plate were the superior side from the get go and it only took eight minutes for the ball to find Giuliano Galoppo after a corner kick and the midfielder fired it into the top corner to open the scoring. The hosts kept having chances and in the 33rd minute, Miguel Borja blasted a shot from outside the box to beautifully double the lead going into halftime.
Similarly to the friendly against Internacional last week, the second half became a substitution frenzy. Marcelo Gallardo made nine second half substitutions to Javier Aguirre's six. El Tri did improve in the final stretch of the game, with 16-year old Gilberto Mora and 19-year-old Elias Montiel looking like the bright spots of the night for a Mexico side that were outclassed overall. There were few clear chances in the second half, with the chants coming from the packed stands of the Estadio Monumental taking center stage.
Mexico managed only one shot on target during the match, further showcasing how overwhelmed they were by the Argentina giants. Aguirre said that the result wasn't as important as making sure his young side didn't crumble under the pressure of the stage, and it must be said that Mexican players didn't look anxious or pressured on the ball, they were just beat by a superior team.
So ends El Tri's January tour in South America, with one victory, one loss and plenty to analyze moving forward.
Player ratings from the night below.
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River Plate Player Ratings vs. Mexico (4-3-3)
Mexico Player Ratings vs. River Plate (3-4-3)
Player of the Match: Miguel Borja (River Plate)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as River Plate 2-0 Mexico: Player Ratings From El Tri's Defeat in Argentina.
