Written by Tom Marshall at ESPNFC.com
Two late goals from Mexico helped the CONCACAF nation to a 3-1 victory over Uruguay in its Copa America Centenario Group C opener.
Goals from Rafa Marquez and Hector Herrera handed Mexico a vital three points, with Diego Godin having leveled in the second half, after Uruguayan defender Alvaro Pereira had given Mexico an early lead with an own goal.
Here are three quick takes from a memorable game at University of Phoenix Stadium:
1. Marquez helps Mexico take the spoils
If there was a sense that the Copa America needed a match to really spark it into life, it got it on Sunday.
Only four goals had been scored over the first five games in the tournament, but Mexico’s victory over Uruguay showed exactly what this combined CONCACAF/CONMEBOL tournament can and should be.
The selection of Rafa Marquez in Mexico’s squad had been criticized ahead of this tournament, but the 37-year-old — Mexico’s most successful player in terms of titles in Europe — was the star of the show.
Marquez played an inch-perfect ball out wide for Andres Guardado to cross for Pereira to put into his own goal for El Tri’s opener and netted the vital second himself in the 85th minute.
With this game billed as the battle for top spot in Group C, El Tri came racing out of the blocks, suffocating Uruguay’s attempts to start attacks and threatening consistently during the first half. Things went from bad to worse for Uruguay when Matias Vecino was sent off for his second yellow in the 45th.
At that point, it seemed that Uruguay wasn’t so much missing Luis Suarez as lacking any idea or philosophy, as if it was a hastily put-together team and not one of the favorites for this tournament.
Few would’ve given 10-man Uruguay serious hope after halftime, but the 2011 Copa America winner showed exactly why it is considered a contender for the cup by wresting control of the game from Mexico.
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