Mexico national team better with Dos Santos and more thoughts from Mexico vs. Panama

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Now we turn the page.

Peralta wins it for Mexico

There's nothing standing between the Mexican national team and its Hex opener against the rival United States in Columbus, Ohio. Tonight's performance follows along in a line of showings that Mexico has had since falling to Chile in the Copa America Centenario. The team looked average and turned in a performance that won't impress the fans, nor perhaps its opponents, but did find a result. The win by the smallest possible margin came against a Panama B team, and Mexico had to labor it. For fans and the press, it won't be good enough.

Yet that seems too negative. Mexico wasn't in danger of losing at any point, and it did some good things. Ultimately, this game will fade in the memory, while whatever happens next month, both against the U.S. and against Panama, will stick.

Let's take a look at five things - some good, some not as good - that we learned from El Tri's victory over the Central American side.

As we discussed after the game against New Zealand , where to play Giovani dos Santos is still a question that has not been answered. What has been answered is whether or not Mexico is better when Dos Santos is involved. It is. After starting the match on the wing and then switching sides, he again moved more centrally, where he was effective in creating chances. He teamed well with Oribe Peralta on Mexico's goal, putting in an excellent square ball for the America forward to finish without much difficulty.

"One of the positions where we consider it tough to find players is one who plays behind the No. 9. We think that in Giovani and in Marco Fabian we've found two great possabilities," Osorio said. "We wanted to see Giovani playing in this position of false winger to get into our offensive third, our final third and give us numerical superiority. It was very difficult to do that because of the number of players that the opponent had in this middle third but we take away very good conclusions.

Even if Dos Santos doesn't start, his participation will be welcome. He would be a fearsome substitute, able to come in and run at opponents from outside, to create or score on his own. After the game in Nashville, Dos Santos said he and Osorio had spoken one-on-one, and it seems that any rift between the men is over - or at least on hold for the better of both. Dos Santos is better as a Mexico international, and the Mexico national team is better with him than without.

"I'd like to clear up that it's been equally imporatnt to be around Giovani and for us to realize that every time he's a more put-together professional, committed to the day to day, in training, commited to give the extra effort when the ball is lost to go get the ball, and he already has the technicali ability. I'm not the person who discovered it. We all know that. We believe that it's for the good of Mexican soccer that Giovani is once again considered for and committed to the national team."

He doesn't give too much going forward, but for the second match running Jesus Molina performed well in the center of midfield, so well that he may be able to force his way into a Hex starting XI. With Panama's attackers applying pressure, just as New Zealand did in the first match of the window, Molina was there to give the center backs an outlet or help recirculate the ball when it had stalled on the wings.

Mexico has a number of players who can do that well: Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado, Miguel Layun, Rafa Marquez. But Osorio likely will want to use some of those players in different roles, and might like the hard-working Molina there more than experienced but aging Marquez.

After a drab first half that saw few chances created by Mexico and right back Jordan Silva struggle with the role, just days after playing right center back in the back three of the 3-3-3-1 against New Zealand, Osorio made two halftime alterations. Hirving Lozano came on for Isaac Brizeula, switching to the right side and pushing Gio dos Santos out wide on the left, while Jesus Duenas replaced Silva. Those players, probably the two standouts against New Zealand and two players who have shown flashes of quality since the Copa America Centenario, clearly provided a bit of stability for Mexico against a feisty Panama.

Lozano was integral in setting up El Tri's opener, finding Peralta in the build up, and though their counterattack in the 71st minute came to nothing, it was clear that Lozano and Duenas have chemistry down the right-hand side. Both could be called upon again next month. Duenas was poor in the Copa but has improved at a right-back spot that is a question mark with Paul Aguilar suffering. 

Orbelin Pineda and Erick Gutierrez could be a dream defensive-midfield partnership in the not-too-distant future, but Tuesday night showed the two are still developing. Already stars in Liga MX, the 21-year-old Gutierrez and 20-year-old Pineda weren't terrible at all, but also didn't impose themselves on the game against Panama's reserve side, many of whom  are themselves young rising stars in their country.

This was Gutierrez's first senior start, and Pineda also has seen little time with El Tri. In many senses, that's what this friendly was good for. The young duo won't be thrust into the madness of Columbus, but both players will be a part of the build-up to 2018 and could even get spots in Russia. They're still growing and maturing, but the experience gained tonight was valuable.

When questioned about the importance of this friendly, Osorio said, "More than being important for me, it was useful for Erick, Orbelin, Isaac (Brizuela), Jordan (Silva), Moises (Munoz)  who again has an opportunity, everybody, because every one knows that this is the chance to send a message that they have what it takes to compete for a spot in the next selecction."

Before the match, Panama manager Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez assured fans and reporters that he was bringing a team of largely reserve players and that Tuesday's friendly will look totally different than next months's qualifier between the two teams. Believe the first half, but take caution about the second. This Panama team played the kind of game Gomez's teams can play well - pressuring defenders and bursting forward with speed when possession changed. It will look to do the same - with better personnel - in Panama City.

"Losing isn't good, but the team we faced has a lot of talent," Goez said after the match. "It's bittersweet to lose but to see important things but also to have the difficulties we had."

The end of the game, which saw Panama start a spat with Mexico and also throw goalkeeper Jose Calderon forward for a late free kick, were plenty of evidence that Los Caneleros have no love lost for Mexico. The teams shook hands and made up afterward, but the controversial 2015 Gold Cup semifinal still sticks in the mind for Panama. It will not be a warm welcome for Mexico in November when El Tri makes the trip for its second Hex match. In fact, Mexico is delaying it as much as possible, with the team potentially staying in the U.S. after playing the Americans and pulling into Panama late.

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