Media roundup: the morning after the night before

Mexico's media was split the morning after the 2-1 defeat against Argentina.

Pundits slammed the referee, Ricardo Osorio's costly error and Javier Aguirre for again changing a system that had worked so well against France.

"The referees' errors are a scandal," reads the front page of Record. "Do something!" is the page three headline of the same newspaper. Page four's article continues in disgust, under the headline "A very dirty game," referring to FIFA's decision to flatly refuse to consider technology in the wake of the England "goal" and the clearly offside position of Carlos Tevez. How can FIFA bang on about Fair Play if they can't come clean and admit mistakes themselves, is the general consensus.

The front page of Cancha reads "The theft, the error, the great goal ... and adios," in reference to, well, Argentina's lucky goal, Osorio's error and Tevez's golazo.

Mexican newspapers generally believe that Argentina's first goal changed the whole outlook of the game and Mexico's players "got hot-headed" in the immediate aftermath.

That the referee and linesman could look up at the big screen in the stadium and clearly see their error only rubs salt into the wounds.

Javier Aguirre should take his share of the blame too, at least according to El Tren.
"A deception called Javier Aguirre," read one of their headlines. Former manager Ricardo La Volpe writes in Cancha that Aguirre was right to start with Chicharito, "but the Bofo thing is incredible."

"If el Tri had been good going forward in previous games (except against Uruguay) using a 4-3-3, it difficult to understand why he again chose to play a man off the striker again yesterday," writes La Volpe.

La Volpe also points out that Mexico probably lost a quarter-final spot due to their poor showing against Uruguay in the last group game and their failure to top their group.

Most people simply wanted Aguirre to do what should've been the obvious thing and play Barrera in place of Carlos Vela, thus retaining the 4-3-3 formation.

There is a positive side to Mexico's performance though, summed up by the headline "Adios old Tri, Hola new Tri," in Record. Reads the subtitle: "Yes, it hurts a lot, but Mexico has a new generation on the move, that already know how to play, score and win in a World Cup. The defeat closes the era of el Tri that could never make that fifth game."

As the post below says, many of Mexico's young players did themselves proud. Chicharito was perhaps the star of the show for Mexico and they look to have found a striker who could potentially become Mexico's all time record scorer in World Cups. He's already joint third with two goals.

Hector Moreno, Efrain Juarez, Andres Guardado, Giovani Dos Santos and Pablo Barrera could all hold their heads up high. Add to them Jonathan Dos Santos (presuming he will continue to play for Mexico), Guillermo Ochoa and Carlos Vela and Mexico already have a good number of players with experience that will make up the 2014 team.

How many other nations can genuinely say the same? England certainly can't.