Fresh off their CONCACAF Gold Cup victory, Mexico is set to take on Australia in an international friendly at AT&T Stadium this weekend.
This encounter marks the sixth meeting between the two nations, with the Socceroos securing a 2-0 win in their previous clash in 2001.
Match Preview
Mexico heads into this match with the momentum of a memorable Gold Cup triumph, where they clinched the title after securing five wins in six matches, culminating in a victory in the final in July.
Their journey was characterized by group-stage wins over Honduras and Haiti, followed by dominant knockout-phase performances against Costa Rica and Jamaica, without conceding a goal. In the final, they defeated Panama 1-0 to emerge victorious.
Mexico’s dominance in the CONCACAF region is undeniable, having won two of the last three Gold Cups and five of the previous eight, making it to 11 of the past 15 Gold Cup finals and winning nine times.
Since the 2022 World Cup, Jaime Lozano’s squad has displayed impressive form, with just two losses in 13 matches, including eight wins and three draws, six of which were victories in their last seven outings.
Having already excelled in the United States this year, scoring 13 goals and keeping four clean sheets in six Gold Cup matches, Mexico returns to Dallas with confidence.
On the other hand, Australia has played only three matches since the World Cup, with a win and a loss against Ecuador in March and a 2-0 defeat against Argentina in June.
Despite a 4-1 loss to France in their opening World Cup match, the Socceroos bounced back with 1-0 victories over Tunisia and Denmark to advance to the knockout phase.
However, they were ultimately eliminated by Argentina in the last 16, with Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez making the difference.
Australia has struggled to find consistency recently, recording five wins and four losses in their last nine games across all competitions. They have also had difficulty scoring more than one goal in eight of their last 10 matches.
Team News
Jaime Lozano has introduced three uncapped players – Jesus Orozco, Jordi Cortizo, and Cesar Huerta – to the squad for the friendlies against Australia and Uzbekistan.
In contrast, veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to earn his 144th cap, while Raul Jimenez and Hector Herrera also boast over 100 caps.
Edson Alvarez of West Ham United is expected to start in midfield, with 22-year-old Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez leading the forward line.
Notably, only two members of Australia’s 23-man squad play their club football in Australia, with Mathew Leckie and Aziz Behich being the exceptions.
The rest of the squad features players from the Scottish Premiership and Middlesbrough.
Possible Starting Lineups
Mexico:
- Ochoa
- Sanchez
- Araujo
- Vasquez
- Gallardo
- Romo,
- Alvarez
- Herrera
- Antuna
- Jimenez
- Gimenez
Australia:
- Ryan
- Atkinson
- Souttar
- Rowels
- Behich
- Leckie
- Baccus
- O’Neill
- McGree
- Duke
- Boyle
Prediction
We predict that Mexico will secure a 2-0 victory over Australia. Despite Australia’s improvements under Graham Arnold, Mexico boasts a stronger squad in every department.