Mexico Vs Japan 2-1 Confederations Cup
Mexico Vs Japan 2-1 Confederations Cup Reuters

El Tri ended its participation at the Confederations Cup 2013 this Saturday June 22nd with a good game against Japan, whom they defeated by 2-1. Javier "Chicharito" Hernández scored the two goals for México and played like they haven't done before during the tournament. Unfortunately, due to their performance in their first two outings, this was their last game and El Tri will now return home to train for the Copa de Oro.

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It was in the 53rd-minute when Chicharito scored the first goal against Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. 13 minutes later, Hernandez notched another, making him the third highest goal scorer in the history of El Tri along with Carlos Hermosillo. Had he scored the goal lost in a penalty, he would stand alone as third best scorer above Hermosillo. Japan scored a late goal thanks to superstar Shinji Okazaki but much like their latest opponents, the Japanese struggled in the 2013 CONFED Cup. Already qualifying for the the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Japan will still be looked upon as a team capable of making a strong run at next summer's games.

Mexico dropped 2 of 3 Confederations Cup matches as their only win came in their tournament finale against Japan. Dropping their opening contest 2-1 to a very talented Italy team with superstars in Mario Balotelli and veteran Andrea Pirlo, El Tri looked competitive throughout as they once again received a strong performance in net from keeper Jose Corona. Despite Mexico's continued troubles on the offensive end, Corona has done his job to keep them in each match. Outside of Chicharito however, Corona and Mexico have not received much support as they hope to eventually qualify for the upcoming World Cup. Currently third in the six-team CONCACAF hexagonal, El Tri sits 3 points behind Costa Rica and 5 points behind the United States for the top spot. The top 3 teams will qualify for the World Cup while the fourth place finisher will enter a playoff against New Zealand to determine another spot.

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Japan already knows they're in the big tournament and although they struggled to compile wins at the recent Confederations Cup, the Japanese nationals should feel confident about their scoring abilities. If they're able to sure up some defensive deficiencies, this team will surely be fun to watch at the 2014 Brazil games.

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