Co-hosts are supposed to carry the weight of a nation, and for 19 minutes in Toluca it looked heavy. Then Mexico remembered who they were. El Tri shrugged off an early Serbia goal to win 5-1, the most emphatic statement any of the three host nations has made in this warm-up window (Outlook India).
With the World Cup opener days away — Mexico face South Africa in the tournament's first match — the timing of a five-goal night could hardly be better for the mood at home.
Mexico 5-1 Serbia, Estadio Nemesio Diez, Toluca — El Tri respond to an early deficit with five. Source: Outlook India
From behind to a rout
Serbia struck first, Petar Stanić finishing in the 19th minute to silence the Toluca crowd and raise the old anxieties about a host nation under pressure (Daily Beirut).
The response was overwhelming. Johan Vásquez headed home a Brian Gutiérrez corner in the 34th minute, and a Stefan Bukinac own goal on the stroke of half-time turned the game on its head (Outlook India).
After the break it became a procession. Raúl Jiménez finished composedly in the 57th minute, a second Serbian own goal followed, and Luis Chávez capped it with a stunning long-range strike in the 90th (Outlook India).
A leader up front again
Jiménez's goal carried significance beyond the scoreline. The striker has had to fight back from a serious head injury earlier in his career, and his composure as the focal point of this attack gives Mexico a centre-forward they can build around at altitude.
Around him, the supporting cast — Vásquez attacking set pieces, Chávez's set-piece and shooting threat from deep — pointed to a side with more routes to goal than recent vintages.
Nineteen minutes of doubt, then a flood. This is the version of Mexico the host nation has been waiting to see.
The altitude factor
There is a tactical subtext to a result like this. Several of Mexico's group-stage matches will be played at altitude in Mexican venues, conditions that punish visiting sides unaccustomed to the thin air.
Toluca, one of the highest stadiums in world football, is the perfect laboratory. Serbia faded badly after the interval, and while a friendly is no proof of tournament resilience, Mexico's ability to keep pressing late hints at how potent that home advantage could become over 90 minutes.
Mood music before the opener
The caveat is the obvious one: this was Serbia, a side that did not qualify for the World Cup, and one warm-up scoreline rarely survives contact with a tournament. The model is unlikely to move Mexico into the favourites tier on the back of it.
But hosts do not need a model's blessing; they need belief, and a 5-1 win delivered exactly that. After the early scare, El Tri showed the character and the cutting edge a co-host will need when the lights come on.
Mexico open the World Cup carrying the hopes of a tournament. On this evidence, they will not lack for confidence.
