Los Angeles offered Rafa Márquez another difficult night at the start of his Mexico tenure, as Chile struck twice after the interval to win 2-0 at the Memorial Coliseum.
Maximiliano Gutiérrez opened the scoring in the 56th minute and Vicente Pizarro added a decisive second nine minutes later, leaving Mexico without a victory after four matches under their new coach.
Quick facts
- Chile beat Mexico 2-0 in a friendly at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
- Maximiliano Gutiérrez scored after 56 minutes following a Gonzalo Tapia counterattack.
- Vicente Pizarro made it 2-0 in the 65th minute with a left-footed finish.
- Mexico have drawn with Colombia and Peru, then lost to the United States and Chile under Rafa Márquez.
Mexico began with more of the ball but struggled to turn possession into control. Márquez, seeking his first win since replacing Javier Aguirre, saw his side create two notable first-half opportunities.
Roberto Alvarado hit a fierce effort from outside the penalty area in the 31st minute, with Chile’s goalkeeper pushing the ball on to the crossbar. Two minutes later, Armando González was through on goal but could not find the breakthrough.
Chile had also threatened before the break. Gutiérrez missed from the left side in the 28th minute, while Mexico’s defence initially held firm as the South Americans searched for space.
The balance changed sharply after half-time. Tapia led a quick Chilean break and supplied Gutiérrez, who finished from the middle of the box to put his side ahead as Mexico’s back line failed to respond.
Tapia nearly doubled the advantage four minutes later, only for Mexico goalkeeper Álex Padilla to save his attempt from the left of the area. Mexico then made changes, but the reshaped side had little time to settle.
Pizarro punished that uncertainty in the 65th minute, driving a left-footed shot into the lower-left corner to complete Chile’s win. The result extends an unsettled opening spell for Márquez, whose Mexico side are still searching for the cohesion and results required in a transition period.
