Hugo Ayala, Mexico Beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2018 Friendly

Mexico kicked off its 2018 schedule with a 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in San Antonio.

While both teams struggled to find the back of the net, Hugo Ayala came through with the game-winner in the 65th minute of the international friendly.

Bosnia and Herzegovina had forced the United States to a scoreless draw three days earlier but were unable to keep up with a World Cup-bound squad.

El Tri dominated the action with 68 percent possession, taking 17 shots compared to just six from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately, this game control didn't lead to goals early on.

The team thought it was headed toward an early 1-0 lead in the opening minute with this chance but couldn't get onto the scoresheet:

There were several more opportunities in the first half, but the match remained scoreless with Mexico unable to finish in the final third.

This finally changed in the 65th minute when Ayala headed home a corner from Jonathan dos Santos, giving Mexico a 1-0 lead. Jon Arnold of Goal.com described the effort:

Mexico remained in control and never even allowed a shot on goal from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The match also featured the debut of Jonathan Gonzalez, who picked El Tri over USA. The 18-year-old entered in the 57th minute and performed well, as Max Bretos of ESPN described:

If he continues to improve, he could find himself on the roster for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Mexico doesn't return to the pitch until March for a pair of international friendlies against Iceland and Croatia. 

Match statistics courtesy of ESPN FC.