The Mexico vs Paraguay U-20 World Cup match will take place this Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (8:00 AM Pacific) at the Kamil Stadium in Gaziantep. Mexico lost its opening match against Greece, a game which appeared to be in Mexico’s control but slipped out in the final minutes. Mexico now needs to at least get a draw against Paraguay –would then be forced to defeat Mali– or it will be eliminated from the U-20 Turkey World Cup.
Mexico came into the World Cup as one of the favorites to make a deep run in the tournament. However, El Mini Tri suffered a rude wake-up when they were defeated by Greece 2-1, a loss that puts Mexico in a tough spot. The Mexico vs Paraguay match is a “now or never” situation; a loss against the South American nation would most likely eliminate El Mini Tri from the tournament.
The loss against Greece was caused by several deficiencies in the Mexican squad (and a tough Greek defense, of course). Mexico did not take advantage of its scoring opportunities, missing two wide-open net chances. El Mini Tri also wasted the vast possession it had in the match, remaining too static on offense, making it very easy for the Greeks to defend. Lastly, Mexico made a huge mistake by relaxing in the final minutes, allowing an easy goal for Greece.
Due to the many mistakes Mexico committed in the first game, El Mini Tri is now forced to at least get a point from the Mexico vs Paraguay match. Mexico definitely has the talent to do so. With skilled players like Jesus Corona, Espericueta and Julio Gomez, Mexico should be able to come up with a victory over Paraguay.
A key part of Mexico’s success against Paraguay lies on Jesus “Tecatito” Corona’s display on the field. This talented youngster can play as an advanced midfielder on either flank. He showed sparks of brilliance during the second half of the match against Greece, and was the player that moved Mexico’s offense forward. If Corona is capable of having a good game, Mexico will come out with the victory.
Mexico vs Paraguay Prediction
The Mexican players know that their tournament life depends on the result of this match. They will rise up to the occasion and come up with the win. Mexico has enough talent to overcome a somewhat limited Paraguay that will most likely defend and counterattack (just like Greece did).
The Mexico vs Paraguay match will end in a 2-0 victory for Mexico, which will take its first step towards a deep run in the U-20 World Cup.
Mexico vs Paraguay Television
The Mexico vs Paraguay match will be televised on ESPN 2 and Univision Deportes on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 8:00 AM Pacific (get that coffee ready).
***Scoring Update***
The U-20 Mexico vs Paraguay World Cup match ended in a 1-0 win for the South Americans. With this result, Paraguay qualified into the next round as they now have 4 points with one match left. On the other hand, Mexico is in a dangerous situation as they will need to win the next match and hope to become one of the four best 3rd place teams in order to acces the next round.
