Mexico coach Javier Aguirre believes last night's friendly victory against Italy will serve as a timely confidence boost heading into the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
Goals from Carlos Vela and second-half substitute Alberto Medina helped Mexico consign the world champions to a 2-1 defeat in Brussels. It was the perfect tonic after Aguirre's men had slipped to narrow defeats against the Netherlands and England despite vastly outplaying their opponents for large swathes of the games.
We can be calmer now than we were a week ago. We are going for success without fear, we've played Italy, Holland, England...we can win, lose, but let's at least say that we are there.[Mexico coach Javier Aguirre]
"It was a great result," said Aguirre. "It was an incredible
game on our part, although Italy taught us the little that we have to correct. Mexico found spaces, they had good mobility, I like a lot how they recovered the ball, there were things that were really good about the Mexican team.
"It reinforces my morale a week before the start, we were coming off two defeats, and victory over Gambia, but now we are going with everything, although we shouldn't become crazy," he went on. "We have to be humble in victory as well as defeat.
"But we can be calmer now than we were a week ago. We are going for success without fear, we've played Italy, Holland, England...we can win, lose, but let's at least say that we are there."
Mexico kick off the FIFA World Cup against hosts South Africa before facing France and Uruguay in Group A.
