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Brazil failed to carry on the momentum they gained from their 3-1 victory in the opening match of the tournament, running out a scoreless draw against Mexico.
Ochoa is the obvious choice for man of the match, pulling off a string of mind-boggling reflex saves and suggesting a flurry of chances for Brazil. But that only tells part of the story; while Neymar was lively and involved in most of his side’s chances, the likes of Fred, Oscar and Ramires were anonymous and the Selecao disappointing overall.
Mexico had plenty of their own chances and exhibited a unity and spirit that could see them go deeper into the competition than many expected.
FINAL SCORE:
Brazil 0
Mexico 0
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Both teams obtained three points in their opening Group A matches despite having varying degrees of luck in terms of refereeing.
Brazil were awarded a dubious penalty to help them see off Croatia, while 1-0 was not a fair reflection of Mexico’s all-action performance against Cameroon, with two legitimate goals being disallowed for offside.
Talk of team news has orbited around Brazil’s powerful attacker Hulk, who had to leave the field at training after feeling pain in his left leg.
Team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has indicated he will wait to give Hulk a late fitness test, with the Zenit St. Petersburg star still hopeful of pulling through. Should he not, Big Phil is certainly not short on options with Ramires, Bernard and Willian the favourites to come in.
Mexico are expected to remain unchanged, although they can expect a very different test than what was offered by a sluggish Cameroon.
Of particular note was how high up the field the wing-backs Paul Aguilar and Miguel Layun ventured. The pair provided plenty of thrust down the sides with some good deliveries into the box, but will need to be more mindful against Neymar, and El Tri’s defence in general.
Giovanni Dos Santos could have had two goals in a man of the match display against Cameroon, while Oribe Peralta continued his impressive scoring record for Mexico. These are the players Brazil will be most worried about, with Chicharito Hernandez likely to start among the substitutes again.
Despite Brazil having had the better of Mexico head to head, El Tri have shown they can rise to the big occasion against the Seleção, beating them 4-3 in the 1999 Confederations Cup final and 2-0 at the 2012 Olympics.
Brazil’s wealth of talent and home support are likely to see them through, but don’t expect Mexico to sit back in what should be an entertaining affair.
Prediction: Brazil 4-2
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