Alexis Vega and Diego Lainez celebrate Mexico's third goal against Japan, this Friday.Martin Mejia / AP
Mexico needed an award for one of the best Olympic teams in its history.
The best, for the gold achieved, will continue to be London 2012. The Tokyo Tri hit it hard to win the bronze medal against the hosts who made Takefusa Kubo their pastor.
The offense and Mexican creativity could do more to win it 3-1.
Mexico adds its second medal in the history of the Olympic Games and the fourth in Tokyo 2020. All have been bronze.
El Tri, wounded in pride for losing to Brazil on penalties in the semifinals, came out with a knife between his teeth.
Against Japan he wanted to get the bronze medal.
The extremes, two fast and intrepid footballers began to cause heartburn to the Japanese.
Alexis Vega, on the left, and Diego Lainez, on the right, opened cracks in the Asian defense.
Vega entered the area to try to shoot and Wataru Endo knocked him down.
Penalty for Mexicans.
Sebastián Córdova, with the spirit of Cuauhtémoc Blanco due to the coldness, won 1-0.
Minute 12 and the triumph was tricolor.
MEX
3
-
1
JAP
Mexico Ochoa, Johan Vásquez, Jorge Sánchez, Jesús Angulo, César Montes, Luis Romo, Carlos Rodríguez (Joaquín Esquivel, min. 85), Francisco Córdova (Roberto Alvarado, min. 78), Ernesto Vega (Fernando Beltrán, min. 78), Diego Lainez (Carlos Antuna, min. 57) and Henry Martin (Eduardo Aguirre, min. 86) Japan Kosei Tani, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Maya Yoshida, Yuta Nakayama (Kaoru Mitoma, min. 62), Hiroki Sakai, Ao Tanaka, Wataru Endo ( Koji Miyoshi, min. 79), Yuki Soma, Ritsu Doan, Take Kubo and Daichi Hayashi
Goals1-0 min.
12: Francisco Córdova.
2-0 min.
21: Johan Vasquez.
3-0 min.
57: Ernesto Vega.
3-1 min.
77: Kaoru Mitoma.
Referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa Yellow cards Wataru Endo (min. 18), Johan Vásquez (min. 26), Jorge Sánchez (min. 41), Ayase Ueda (min. 79) and Ochoa (min. 92)
Endo, in a way to make amends for his mistake, went on the attack to try to beat goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. What he did get was kicking the goalkeeper's arm and a yellow card. It was another setback for the host team in Saitama. Another lethal blow awaited them. Ten minutes after the first goal, Córdova crossed the area and Johan Vásquez, one of Mexico's most outstanding center-backs, got up to make it 2-0.
Mexico had to respect his style and not get lost in the nebula of comfort. With the ball, the Mexicans enjoyed walking it from coast to coast. The center of the field was a harmony of passes between Carlos Rodríguez and Luis Romo. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Diego Lainez had to come out crying for a bad kick to the ball. His place was taken by another bold player, Uriel Antuna. The next play ended in another effective Cordova cross that ended with Vega's forehead to make it 3-0. Antuna, amidst the Japanese bewilderment, missed a clear goal option.
Ochoa, under pressure from Japan, took a goal from the Japanese Mitoma and blocked a shot from Ueda in the final minutes.
Mitoma, however, closed the gap with a solo goal in which he knocked out three defenders in the area (3-1).
Mexico was dedicated to defending and suffering the last minutes.
The edge was wide enough to find some peace of mind.
With the final whistle, Mexico celebrated bronze as the tournament that crowns an entire brilliant generation.
More information
Promising Alegna González debuts at the Olympic Games with a fifth place for Mexico
The Mexican Gabriela Agúndez gives the stretch in the Olympic Games
In Tokyo 2020, the Mexicans had come out with a scoring machine that overwhelmed France (4-1).
The doubts came when they faced Japan.
In less than 12 minutes they were already losing the game 2-0.
That double hit lowered the morale of a team that had done well with a great offense (2-1).
Against South Africa they recovered (3-0) and in the quarterfinals, against South Korea, the offense was reactivated (6-3).
Against Brazil, El Tri were very uncomfortable on the pitch without control of the ball.
He managed to take the game to penalties (1) 0-0 (4).
One of the dark stories of the Olympic Games for Mexico dates back to 1968. In that year, El Tri contested with Japan for bronze.
The hosts of that year lost it 2-0 and left the Azteca stadium booed.
That defeat raised suspicions.
The Mexican rematch took 53 years to arrive.
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