'What are you Koreans trying to do?' Mexico coach angry at performance: "Should have scored three goals in the first half"... also criticizes players' mental state: "They relaxed"

*This content was translated by AI.

Javier Aguirre (67), head coach of the Mexico national team, expressed strong dissatisfaction with his team's performance despite winning the World Cup opener.

Ranked 15th by FIFA, Mexico defeated South Africa (ranked 60th) 2-0 in the opening match of Group A of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean Cup at the Mexico City Stadium on the 12th (Korea time).

With home-field advantage and considered the strongest team in Group A, Mexico (3 points) moved to the top of the group, ahead of South Korea and the Czech Republic, who have yet to play. South Africa finished at the bottom of the group.

Mexico took control with a first goal by Julian Quiñones in the 9th minute of the first half and a decisive goal by Raul Jimenez in the 22nd minute of the second half. Two South African players were sent off consecutively in the second half, giving Mexico a complete numerical advantage. However, in the final moments of the match, Mexico's key defender Cesar Montes also received a red card for an excessive foul. Due to this sending-off, Montes will be unable to play in the upcoming match against South Korea.

According to Mexico's 'Record', after the match, Coach Aguirre stated, "We could have ended the first half 3-0, but the performance was not good." He added, "We dominated the opponent and allowed only one shot, but the score did not reflect that. We made the game difficult for ourselves through hits off the post, opponent saves, and missed shots."

He also criticized the players' casual attitude. Coach Aguirre pointed out, "After scoring the second goal and the opponent player was sent off, the players relaxed and did not attack aggressively." He then added, "Winning the first match is positive, but we must definitely improve our performance."

He also acknowledged the pressure of hosting the World Cup. Coach Aguirre explained, "This is a ruthless stage. It is emotionally very intense, and the players felt the burden." He continued, "For the past 25 matches, no player had muscle cramps, but today three players complained of cramps," mentioning the pressure of playing at home.

He gave a passing grade to the defensive stability. Coach Aguirre evaluated, "The defense did not waver at all. It was a game where we could have won 4-0." However, regarding Cesar Montes' red card, he expressed regret, saying, "It could have been avoided."

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*This content was translated by AI.