Goals: Netherlands—Sneijder 49’ - Blind 74’; Mexico—Vela 8’, 62’ - Hernandez 69’
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Mexico capture a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday.
A world-class strike from Carlos Vela opened the affair just eight minutes after the start. It was his first international goal since June 3, 2010 (via Paul Carr). Shifting to a 4-3-3 formation, opposed to a favored 5-3-2, proved to be effective for Mexico through the remainder of the half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. Wesley Sneijder quickly responded for Dutch, burying an equalizer in the 49th minute. But Vela and Mexico would not be denied.
The Real Sociedad striker lifted the visitors in the 62nd minute. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez sealed the 3-2 victory seven minutes later.
Key Moment: A disorganized Dutch defense and a sloppy offside trap from Stefan de Vrij ultimately decided the contest. By the slimmest of margins, the 22-year-old played Hernandez onside and left him 1v1 with the keeper. Even Hernandez, who is no longer known for his clinical finishing, was able to take advantage of a clear-cut opportunity.
Man of the Match: A brace in his first international minutes since 2011, Vela wrote the book on making a comeback.
Lesson Learned: It took all of eight minutes for Vela to mark his return to international football. It was worth the wait. The 25-year-old controversially turned down call-up after call-up from the Mexican federation, choosing not to represent his country in the 2014 World Cup. For many, that lack of dedication is enough to leave a talent like his behind, but not Miguel Herrera. The talismanic head coach did more than return an elite striker to his talent pool, he returned the best player in CONCACAF.
Up Next: The Dutch host Latvia on Nov. 16, while Mexico travels to Belarus on Nov. 18.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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