El Salvador vs Mexico: Key Road Victory Will Provide Confidence Boost for El Tri

After a home victory over Guyana last week, Mexico passed its first true test of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday night against El Salvador, which should provide the squad with a boost of confidence moving forward.

La Selecta was a formidable opponent, playing solid defense throughout the first half and tying the game just when it looked like Mexico was set to pull away. But a late goal from Hector Moreno allowed El Tri to capture all three points to move atop Group B.

Even though they were expected to cruise through the first group stage, winning road matches in hostile territory is never an easy task for CONCACAF teams, even regional powerhouses like Mexico that have a higher level of talent.

That point was further proven by El Tri's rival to the north. The United States were only able to muster a draw in Guatemala despite a pretty large talent gap. It's a result like that which really shows how tough home-field advantage is to overcome.

So the Mexican squad should return home feeling really good about the win as it gets ready to break up for a while before the next set of games in September.

The biggest thing that stood out was the team's ability to win despite lackluster performances from some of its stars. The attacking duo of Javier Hernandez and Giovani Dos Santos weren't as dynamic as usual, which in most cases would be enough to sink El Tri's offense.

Instead, other players rose to the occasion. Jesus Zavala scored the first goal of his international career to open the scoring. And then Moreno did the same with just eight minutes until the final whistle to give Mexico the 2-1 win.

In a region where goalscoring can often come at a premium, the Mexicans have showcased not only a lot of talent, but plenty of depth as well. That's why they are really a step ahead of everybody else right now.

Hernandez and Dos Santos are going to generate their fair share of offense, there's no doubt about that. But if Mexico can start getting contributions from elsewhere in the lineup as well, it will become an extremely dangerous team as the next World Cup approaches.

Road wins like the one El Tri earned last night are a big part of building the necessary foundation. It's those type of games that allow players, especially younger ones, to understand what it takes to win big games in tough situations. That experience will come into play as the level of competition increases.

Even though an early qualifying victory over El Salvador will be viewed as nothing more than a footnote as time goes by, it was actually an important result that helps Mexico feel more confident in the direction of the team.

That's something which can't be measured by the standings.