Mexico continued their unbeaten run under Javier Aguirre with a 2-2 draw against Valencia at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla. This was Aguirre’s third game at the helm, following a comfortable win over New Zealand and a draw with Canada. Despite racing into a two-goal lead, Mexico allowed the visitors back into the game as they now look ahead to Tuesday night’s clash against the United States in Guadalajara.
Toluca’s Alexis Vega opened the scoring for El Tri with a stroke of luck. After curling a free-kick from the edge of the box against the post, the ball rebounded off the Valencia goalkeeper Vicent Abril and rolled into the net, giving Mexico the lead in the 12th minute.
Mexico doubled their advantage midway through the first half thanks to Tigres forward Ozziel Herrera. The 22-year-old found himself in acres of space outside the box and took full advantage, curling a beautiful effort into the top-right corner to make it 2-0.
However, Valencia responded just before the break through Dani Gómez. The forward broke through Mexico's backline and, with no one closing him down, unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box. His strike left Raúl Rangel with no chance, smashing into the roof of the net to pull one back for the visitors just before half-time.
The second half saw Valencia grow into the game, and it was Dani Gómez again who levelled things up on the hour mark. The Spanish striker received the ball in the box, muscled his way past Charly Rodríguez, and calmly finished past Rangel from close range to make it 2-2.
Despite Mexico’s strong start, they couldn't find a winner as Valencia’s fightback ensured the game ended all square. The draw means that El Tri remain unbeaten under Aguirre, who was brought back to steady the ship following a disappointing showing at the Copa América earlier this year.
Next up for Mexico is a huge test against Mauricio Pochettino’s United States at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. With momentum building, Tuesday night's clash could serve as a perfect platform for Aguirre's men to lay down a marker ahead of future international competitions.