Edinson Cavani’s brace helped Uruguay to a 3-0 win over Mexico Thursday night in Phoenix, piling even more pressure onto Tata Martino.
Cavani scored his first goal just 14 seconds into the second half, and added his second shortly thereafter, leaving Mexico to eventually be jeered off at full time by a crowd of over 57,000.
In truth, the 3-0 scoreline could have been worse, as Martino’s use of a back five presented Uruguay with no trouble. A wild 13th minute scramble in the El Trí box eventually saw Federico Valverde crack a shot off the post, while Mexico had little in the way of a response beyond sporadic counter-attacks that lacked the sharp precision that Uruguay showed on the night.
While Mexico qualified for the World Cup with relative ease, posting five straight shutouts to finish the Octagonal, fans have been frustrated enough to call for Martino’s job for months now. The range of reasons include a perceived results-first focus clashing with a soccer culture that requires stylish play, and sporadic bad results outside of CONCACAF like this one.
Uruguay, meanwhile, looks more than ready for Qatar 2022, and will face the US men’s national team on Sunday night. Based on the ease with which they shoved El Trí aside, they will be possibly the most serious test the USMNT gets before jetting off for the World Cup.