Switzerland Defeats Sloppy Mexico 4-2 in Friendly Ahead of Gold Cup
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Switzerland defeated Mexico 4-2 in a high-scoring international friendly on Saturday, as Fabian Rieder’s last-minute strike sealed the match and exposed Mexico’s ongoing struggles ahead of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Breel Embolo opened the scoring for the Swiss in the 20th minute, and although Santiago Giménez equalized in the 51st, Switzerland pulled away with goals from Zeki Amdouni (64') and Dan Ndoye (71'). Ángel Sepúlveda brought Mexico back within one in the 75th minute, but Rieder’s stunning chip from outside the box in the 90th minute — capitalizing on a Mexican turnover — closed out the win for Switzerland at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The loss raises concerns for Mexico as they prepare to defend their Gold Cup title starting June 14.
“Today we made a lot of poor decisions — and I include myself in that,” admitted head coach Javier Aguirre. “I was too focused on the referee. This game taught us important lessons. Mistakes like these in the Gold Cup could be fatal, and that’s not what we want.”
Aguirre started Mexico’s top European-based strikers, Santiago Giménez (Milan) and Raúl Jiménez (Fulham), hoping for chemistry up front. But early miscommunication led to Switzerland’s first goal. Jiménez let a through-ball roll past him, expecting it to benefit Giménez. Instead, the play broke down, and Switzerland launched a counterattack that ended with Embolo dribbling past goalkeeper Raúl Rangel to put his team ahead 1-0 at halftime.
Giménez leveled with a well-placed header after a loose ball in the box, ending his scoring drought for El Tri dating back to July 2023.
Controversy struck when Amdouni’s goal restored Switzerland’s lead, despite multiple players appearing offside on the free kick. With no VAR in use, the goal stood. Minutes later, Rangel made a costly mistake by trying to play the ball short under pressure. Switzerland recovered possession, and Ndoye capitalized with a third goal.
Sepúlveda gave Mexico a glimmer of hope with a powerful left-footed strike from distance, but Rieder’s composed finish from outside the area put the match beyond reach.
Late in the game, Mexican fans were heard chanting a homophobic slur, a recurring issue that has previously resulted in fines for the Mexican Football Federation. While the referee consulted the match inspector, the game was not paused.
Mexico now looks to regroup as they face Turkey in another friendly on Tuesday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
0 Comments