Copa America: Can Mexico contain Chile?

Mexico will play Chile in the Copa America quarterfinals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Can El Tri hold off Chile’s superstars?

Everyone likes goals. Although there is certainly something to a tight 0-0 match, there is something to a team breaking through and finally receiving the reward for all of their hard work. On Saturday. Chile will hope to break the bank early and often against an imposing Mexican defense.

Judging by their 2016 form one might not think that Chile would pose much of a threat to El Tri. The defending Copa America champions have won just three matches out of seven in 2016, with two of them coming in the last week. Tough losses to Jamaica and this same Mexican side in the lead up to the World Cup left fresh questions about coach Juan Antonio Pizzi’s ability to replace Jorge Sampaoli.

So what caused the change in form? Pizzi went back to basics, shelving the more conservative style that he had brought in for the more open style of Sampaoli and previously Marcelo Bielsa. The “Bielsa style” is a more frenetic style that calls for the outside midfielders to serve as the focal point of building plays.

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By doing this. the attackers open up seams in the center of the pitch and thus gives forwards like Alexis Sanchez goal-scoring opportunities. If Sanchez is occupied by one or two defenders then he can make the pass to either Eduardo Vargas, or Arturo Vidal depending upon who helped set up the previous play.

This more open style was on full display on Tuesday night when Vidal and Sanchez opened up the Panamanian defense for four goals after going behind early. During their team’s last two matches Vidal, Sanchez along with Eduardo Vargas have scored six of Chile’s seven goals destroying both Panama and prior to that Bolivia to help secure their spot in the Quarterfinal round of the Copa America.

Although Mexico certainly has a stronger defense than both of the previously mentioned sides their second half lapses should leave El Tri supporters worried. In particular against Uruguay the Mexican pair of Rafa Marquez and Hector Herrera left pockets of space for Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin to exploit.

Considering that Uruguay were down by a player and still able to operate within the Mexican penalty box one has to wonder how they might fare against three of the top attacking players in the world?

One area that may tip the scale in Mexico’s favor is their ability to play to the crowd. Expect El Tri to have a massive advantage in terms of crowd support on Saturday night. Although the effect of a crowd on a match can be a bit overstated Mexico does have this uncanny ability to feed off of their crowd and lump the pressure on the “visiting” team.

Watching the Uruguay and Jamaica matches it is clear that teams are playing very conservative against Mexico early in the match with the intention of killing the crowd. Perhaps Pizzi will learn from his experience in San Diego, much as he did from Chile’s early issues this year, and will let Sanchez, Vargas, and Vidal fly early.

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