Mexico's defense gets torn apart by Breel Embolo and Switzerland as El Tri lose 4-2 in Salt Lake City

Mexico v Switzerland - International Friendly

Embolo, Amdouni, Ndoye, and Rieder found the net for Switzerland, while Giménez and Sepúlveda scored for El Tri.

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Mexico had a rough afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, suffering a 4-2 defeat to Switzerland in the first of two scheduled warm-up matches before kicking off their Gold Cup campaign on June 14 against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium.

Switzerland struck first thanks to Breel Embolo in the 20th minute and held the lead for the opening 45 minutes. Javier Aguirre's El Tri would provide an instant reply in the second half as Santiago Giménez scored in the 51st minute. Still, the Nati remained relentless, Zeki Amdouni and Dan Ndoye scored 10 minutes apart from each other to extend the lead to 3-1. Substitute Ángel Sepúlveda would score in the 75th minute and Aguirre reacted with more changes, also sending in Edson Álvarez and Efraín Álvarez, all moves that contributed to bringing the game back to 3-2. However, it wouldn't be enough to equalize.

Mexico pushed forward in the closing minutes but failed to seriously threaten Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. In stoppage time, Fabian Rieder sealed the result with a fourth goal, handing El Tri a tough loss.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Following this match, Aguirre’s record now stands at five wins, one draw, and two losses since taking over. Against Switzerland, Mexico's head-to-head record now drops to one win, one draw, and five defeats. Mexico’s first challenge against a European side ended in disappointment. However, El Tri will have a chance to bounce back on Tuesday against Turkey in their second and final warm-up match before the Gold Cup.

One positive takeaway was Giménez, who ended a 16-game goal drought with the national team. His last goal had come during the 2023 Gold Cup final against Panama, where Mexico claimed the title. With this latest strike, Giménez avoided going nearly two years without scoring for El Tri.

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THE MVP

Rieder, currently playing for Stuttgart, delivered an outstanding performance on Saturday. The forward sealed the match with a 90th-minute goal, provided an assist, and created five scoring chances for his team. He also recovered three balls and was fouled five times throughout the game, proving to be a constant menace for Mexico’s defense.

Mexico v Switzerland - International Friendly

THE BIG LOSER

Raúl Rangel. The Chivas goalkeeper has had few opportunities between the posts for the Mexican national team, especially when serving as backup to goalkeepers of the caliber of Guillermo Ochoa and Luis Ángel Malagón, who is expected to be the starter for the Gold Cup and the 2026 World Cup. Rangel earned just his third start for the national team, and although he didn’t have a bad performance this afternoon against Switzerland, he conceded four goals - something that doesn’t help a goalkeeper who rarely gets the chance to prove his worth. Rangel likely won’t see any more action against Turkey or in the Gold Cup, so today was a missed opportunity to make his case for the No. 1 position at goal.

Mexico v Switzerland - International Friendly

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Mexico will face Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina. El Tri will then kick off their Gold Cup campaign on June 14 against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium.

MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐⭐