MORE: Why there's an age cutoff for the men's Olympic soccer tournament It's hard to argue that Mexico manager Jaime Lozano got his three selections right. Mexico definitely got its overage players rightĮach men's team at the 2021 Olympics has the option of taking three players over the age of 24, which is this year's age cutoff for all the other players on the roster. Here are the key takeaways from a memorable quarterfinal: That shouldn't take away from an overall convincing Mexican performance.
The final result was also partly amplified by the fact that every bounce went Mexico's way: a blatantly ridiculous push in the box by a South Korean defender that led to a penalty, a big save by Ochoa just before halftime and a South Korean free kick that hit the top of the crossbar at 3-1. Martin was again rewarded for his selfless, hard-nosed play as the lone forward, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa came up with big, timely stops behind a classy quartet of defenders who, despite the three goals allowed, were generally as effective defending as their attacking teammates were in finding the net. Playing without midfield fulcrum Carlos "Charly" Rodriguez, Mexico's attack still managed to flow with winger Alexis Vega and creative midfielder Cordova conducting the attack. It will force one of Mexico's best players at the Olympics to sit out the semifinal due to suspension for yellow card accumulation. Take the yellow card picked up by influential fullback Jorge Sanchez with 14 minutes left in the game and the result well in hand. Past the names on the scoresheet, there isn't a Mexican player who can be called out for having a poor game, although there are a handful of plays they'd definitely want back.