Mexico vs. Brazil: Mexico Must Shine to Validate Status as World Power

According to the World Rankings, Brazil is supposed to beat Mexico in tonight's International Friendly. Brazil is ranked No. 7 in the world, while Mexico sits at No. 20.

But Mexico is becoming a trendy pick in this one. They have been playing extremely well. With every good performance, their status as a legitimate world power is growing. 

Now, you never want to place too much on a friendly. After all, friendly is just soccer's term for exhibition. These games mean a lot more for the fans and bragging rights than anything else.

But Brazil is not only the higher ranked team, they are the much more respected soccer country. Actually, with very few exceptions, no country comes close to matching Brazil's prestige on the world stage.

For Mexico, this is a test. Granted, I would never say anything as serious as, "They need to win this game or people will view them as a joke." That would be way out of line, and completely inaccurate.

But here's what can't happen:

Mexico can not take the pitch and get blown out by Brazil. Obviously, a win would be ideal. If that doesn't happen, a draw would be the next best thing. That really goes without saying.

But if they go out and are clearly inferior to the Brazilians for 90 minutes, it would go a long way in crushing the mindset of a Mexican team that's really been hot in recent months.

Again, even though the teams are certainly trying to win, you don't want to put too much on a friendly. The score could be a 5-0 win, a 5-0 loss or anything in between, and it officially means nothing.

But going beyond what it officially means, this is just a match that Mexico has to show well in. The ball may or may not bounce in the right direction to get them a win, but that's fine. A hard fought, close loss isn't a big deal.

Still, if they go out and lose big, Mexico's status as a world power will take a significant hit.