Chile beat Rafa Márquez’s Mexico 2-0 in a friendly

Rafa Márquez’s Mexico were beaten 2-0 by Chile on Tuesday in a friendly. Goals from Maximiliano Gutiérrez and Vicente Pizarro checked the start of Márquez’s tenure as Mexico coach, with the team’s transition posing challenges in its efforts to deliver results.

Played at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, the match was Márquez’s fourth as Mexico’s coach. His team had been seeking a response after losing to the United States (3-0) the previous week and drawing with Colombia (1-1) and Peru (1-1).

Both sides took time to settle, particularly Mexico. Tapia then came close to extending Chile’s lead, but his effort from the left side of the area was gathered by Mexican goalkeeper Álex Padilla. Jesús Gallardo and Everardo López were booked for Mexico, as was Darío Osorio for Chile.

The match was played in front of nearly 56,529 spectators. The result denied Márquez’s side the response it had been looking for after its opening matches.