Mexico 2 Senegal 0: Duenas, Pizarro inspire win

A second-string Mexico overcame Senegal 2-0 in an international friendly in Miami on Wednesday.

Mexico were without their regulars and European-based stars as the midweek contest fell outside official FIFA dates.

But despite the absence of Javier Hernandez, Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera and Carlos Vela, Mexico still emerged triumphant thanks to Jesus Duenas and Rodolfo Pizarro, who scored their first international goals at Marlins Park.

Duenas headed home Candido Ramirez’s cross for the first goal of the match in the 73rd minute as a host of Mexican youngsters staked their claims to coach Juan Carlos Osorio, before second-half substitute Pizarro made sure of the result 14 minutes later.

Mexico’s starting XI featured debutant Hirving Lozano, while five players with 10 caps or less took to the field from the first whistle alongside locally-based veterans Jose Corona, Jorge Torres Nilo and Jesus Zavala.

Senegal’s line-up was also made up of mostly under-23 internationals.

Neither side created any clear-cut chances in the first half, though Senegal were somehow denied by goalkeeper Corona, who managed to scramble across his line to get a hand to Dame Gueye’s close-range effort approaching the half-hour mark.

Mexico then came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock four minutes after the interval.

Herrera rose highest to meet Torres Nilo’s cross, but keeper Pape N’Diaye dived low to push away the header.

Another brilliant opportunity went begging for Senegal just past the hour-mark after substitute Ibrahima Cisse fluffed hit shot wide of the post, having cut through Mexico’s defence.

The Mexicans eventually opened the scoring with 17 minutes remaining, when Duenas turned in Ramirez’s cross with a powerful header.

And the win was sealed three minutes from time after Pizarro guided a header into the bottom corner of the net, having been set up by Lozano.