Mexico vs. Korea: El Tri Must Bounce Back Quickly After Disappointing Draw

Mexico had high hopes as the men's football tournament got underway on Thursday, one day before the Olympic Opening Ceremony. But El Tri could only muster a scoreless draw against South Korea, immediately putting them behind the proverbial eight ball.

The fact that they weren't able to secure all three points disappointed the Mexican squad, and it might come back to haunt them at the end of the group stage. Instead of gaining an early advantage, they left the door open for South Korea to advance.

Mexico still has to face Switzerland, which will likely be the toughest test of the opening round. But first the team must regroup and take care of business against Gabon. Anything less than a victory in that match would be a devastating blow.

The performance wasn't a total loss for El Tri. They did play really well in the defensive third, keeping most of South Korea's scoring chances to the outside. It made for an easy clean sheet for goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona.

Most concerning was the team's lack of offensive pressure. Luis Fernando Tena had been tinkering with the formation and lineup leading up to the games, but so far his best efforts have yielded no results. Mexico only managed two shots on goal.

The fact that Giovani Dos Santos didn't receive the starting nod immediately stands out. Tena decided to go with Marco Fabian and Oribe Peralta up front instead, but the duo didn't do enough to threaten the South Korean defense on a consistent basis.

Dos Santos did enter the game as a substitute shortly after the hour mark, but the game was already getting bogged down by that point. It was nearly impossible to generate any forward momentum.

Even though Dos Santos has not always been the most consistent option for Mexico, he's the type of player who can take over a game when he's in top form. He should have been in the starting lineup one way or another to help create scoring chances.

It will be interesting to see if Tena opts to shake up his lineup again before the Gabon match on Sunday. The game is very winnable, but the extra pressure caused by only earning a draw could result in some tense moments.

Mexico should still feel optimistic about its chances of advancing, but it can't afford another lackluster performance like Thursday's in either of the two remaining group games.

Otherwise, El Tri will be making an early exit.