It was a hot Saturday evening in Santa Clara, California as eager fans began to arrive to the Levi’s Stadium to see Mexico face off against Chile. Though the teams would not take to the field until 7 PM, there was a feeling of anticipation and festivity that permeated the air. Countless representatives from both the Mexican and Chilean press traveled from afar to report on the first friendly match for either team since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Even more, the occasion marked the first-ever international soccer match to take place in the Levi’s Stadium, home to the National Football Leagues’s San Francisco 49ers.
When play finally began, many were surprised to find “La Roja” (the Red) in white, while the Mexican National Team donned red jerseys for the evening. Regardless of their colors, though, the two teams played a competitive night of soccer. Headlining for Mexico were Giovani dos Santos and Oribe Peralta while Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal led the Chilean team. Despite pre-game rumors of Vidal’s ailing knee, his solid play only confirmed his and Coach Sampaoli’s reports that his knee was “perfect.”
The two teams traded opportunities on goal throughout the first half, with Chile earning the first chances at both 9 and 17 minutes. It was Sanchez with the first strike that was just wide of the post and later Vidal with the header that Memo Ochoa, the Mexican goalkeeper, reacted quickly to punch clear of the goal. For Mexico, Dos Santos was unable to capitalize when Chile failed to clear its lines at the 32 minute marker. The score remained an even 0-0 at the end of the first half.
Upon returning to the field, off a pass from Sanchez, Chile’s Rodrigo Millar took a shot at 52 minutes that was once again blocked by Ochoa. Entering late in the game for Mexico, Javier Antonio Orozco answered 13 minutes later. Despite being unmarked within 20 feet of the goal, he could not find the back of the net, much to the disappointment of the Mexican fans.
After 92 minutes of play, the game ended in a draw. Although the evening was scoreless, all left the stadium content. Mexico Coach Miguel Herrera said it best to Fox Soccer before play began, “The first goal is to see the team do well and play well. . . we want people to leave happy.” And that they were. High caliber soccer, a state-of-the-art stadium, and a warm Northern California evening — the makings for a terrific friendly match. The two teams have more play ahead as Mexico takes on Bolivia and Chile faces Haiti, both on Tuesday evening.
Article by Néstor Colombo. Article and Photos by Néstor Colombo and Christopher Colombo.
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