MEXICO 2 - 1 Italy

Mexico made the ears of the football world prick up Thursday with a 2-1 victory over current world champions Italy.

El Tri, playing in their all black 2nd strip, looked stronger, more cohesive and hungrier than the lacklustre Italians and fully deserved their win.

Indeed, the margin of victory could've been wider but for some shoddy finishing and the referee failing to spot a blatant penalty in Mexico's favour.

The only negative came with Italy's goal, again conceded from a set piece.

Perhaps more important than the result were the performances of key players Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who put through a beautiful through ball for Alberto 'Venado' Medina for Mexico's second.

Blanco had been on the end of quite a bit of stick in recent days, firstly for getting pictured smoking and secondly for his less than impressive displays over the last few weeks.

Vela scored Mexico's first goal and celebrated by doing a 'shhing' motion (see here), most likely aimed at Mexico's press that have been criticizing his recent performances. The Arsenal man at last looked like a player at ease with this level of international football and was one of Mexico's best players.

For Giovani, the game was the first since learning his brother Jonathan Dos Santos had been axed from the squad. Beforehand, there had even been suggestions Giovani was ready to leave the squad.
"He's very unmotivated, I think he was worse than me," Jonathan told the press in Barcelona just before the game kicked off. "He wanted to leave the squad. I talked to him and he's hurt. His future is being decided and he has to play in the World Cup. I know he will do very well and I wish him all the luck in the world."

The exquisite pass over the top for Vela's goal came as a timely reminder of how vital Giovani is for Mexico and what a loss it would be if he had decided to ditch the squad. Coach Javier Aguirre even said before the Italy game that this is Giovani's World Cup.

Most people in Mexico are in no doubt that if Mexico are to do well in South Africa, Giovani will be a central figure.

Line-up: 1 Óscar Pérez 2 Francisco Rodríguez 5 Ricardo Osorio 3 Carlos Salcido 4 Rafael Márquez 6 Gerardo Torrado 16 Efrain Juárez 11 Carlos Vela 14 Javier Hernandez
17 Giovani Dos Santos

Subs: Pablo Barrera for Rafael Márquez (45) Héctor Moreno for Francisco Rodríguez (69) Cuauhtémoc Blanco for Javier Hernandez (71) Israel Castro for Carlos Vela (83) Andres Guardado for Efrain Juárez (87)