Mexico Olympic Soccer Team: Rating the Mexican Players vs. Gabon

Mexico is virtually qualified for the knockout stage of the Olympic tournament. After a shaky opening game against Korea, which led to a disappointing draw, El Tri defeated Gabon 2-0.

The team was better organized and showed some improvements, but is still far from being the squad that won the Pre-Olympic and the Toulon Tournament.

Oribe Peralta and Marco Fabián didn't do much, while the midfield lost the ball control toward the end of the game.

Without further ado, let's rate the performance of the players in the match.

Goalkeeper

José de Jesús Corona didn't have many appearances, but when he had to intervene he made the right decision.

Corona, one of the most experienced footballers on the team, kept calm the whole match. The only moment when he felt real pressure was in the last five minutes, when Gabon attacked constantly.

The keeper had one mistake due to Gabon's pressure, but it wasn't something to worry about.

Rating: 8/10

Defense

Darvin Chávez played on the left and had a good first half. He stopped pushing and showed a overconfidence toward the end of the match, and this led to some mistakes.

Chávez could have had a better day on the pitch, but at times he preferred being flashy instead of keeping his role.

In the center, Diego Reyes had a discreet match. He didn't compromise the squad and kept cool in the last 10 minutes, when Gabon attacked the most.

Hiram Mier accompanied Reyes and proved yet again to be the leader of the defense. Mier had key appearances both to to recover and to keep the ball.

The Monterrey defender stayed on top of his game, despite being shorter and slower than Gabon's forwards.

Néstor Vidrio stayed on the left side, where he provided Miguel Ponce with passes. Like Reyes, Vidrio didn't lose his head and maintained his role during the whole match.

Chávez: 7/10

Mier: 8/10

Reyes: 7/10

Vidrio: 7/10

Midfield

Miguel Ángel Ponce made some interesting runs from the left sideline and sent crosses to Marco Fabián and Oribe Peralta. However, this lasted about 20 minutes and then he vanished. Finally, Fernando Tena took him off at the second half.

Unlike match against Korea, Carlos Salcido didn't have much activity. He shot twice to Gabon's goal, but without being a real threat. The 32-year-old recovered some balls and completed several passes, nothing too aggressive.

Héctor Herrera keeps showing some of the best football from Mexico. The Pachuca midfielder created some key plays, especially with a couple of long distance shots. He gave El Tri clarity in the center of the pitch, which is something they lacked against Korea.

Javier Aquino took the right sideline and was by far one of the most active Mexican footballers. His strength and speed were essential to unbalance Gabon's defense. He had some good options to send crosses and even shot on goal.

Ponce: 6/10

Salcido: 7/10

Herrera: 8/10

Aquino: 8/10

Forward

Marco Fabián is lost somewhere between the Toulon Tournament and the Olympics. The Chivas striker hasn't found his touch. Today he had at least two clear goal options and wasted them.

Fabián can't afford to miss this chances. He showed overconfidence when he should have been attacking and seeking to score a goal. Marco's performance was under expectation. Mexico's manager took him off at the 75th minute.

Oribe Peralta appeared in the initial squad which was odd considering his performance against Korea. Peralta needed 20 minutes to become sort of a danger to Gabon.

During the second half he was much better and sent some interesting passes and even created a goal opportunity after receiving a foul inside the penalty area.

Fabián: 6/10

Peralta: 7/10

Substitutes

Giovani dos Santos came in for Miguel Ángel Ponce who wasn't having a great match. Dos Santos became a serious threat at the 62nd with a left shot that Gabon's keeper couldn't control. The Tottenham midfielder gave El Tri its first goal of the tournament.

Giovani showed, once again, that he should be a starter, as he is the most unbalancing footballer on the team. His experience and clarity on the pitch give him an advantage over other players his age.

When Peralta later received a foul inside the area, dos Santos took the penalty to grab his second goal, which meant Mexico's first victory at the 2012 Olympics.

Jorge Enríquez had his shot after Héctor Herrera left the pitch due to an injury. Enríquez' performance was reserved until the last 10 minutes when he started to attack and even had a goal opportunity at the last minute.

Javier Cortés replaced Marco Fabián at the 70th. It was a clever substitution for Mexico as he gave the team depth, something Fabián couldn't accomplish. Even though he played 20 minutes, Cortés proved to be a good option.

Dos Santos: 9/10

Enríquez: 8/10

Cortés: 8/10