Summary Thank you for joining me for all the fun this afternoon. It’ll be a while until we do it again with the Socceroos not back in action until the October international break when they head to London for matches against England and New Zealand. After that, it’s competitive football all the way with World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup dominating the calendar. Be sure to join me back here for all of that. And now a smiling, buoyant, Graham Arnold. We played against a very good side here and obviously a couple of mistakes cost us goals, but at the end of the day I think the boys did exceptionally well and obviously we have things to improve on. When you play these types of games you learn your lessons. The whole week has been incredible, and bringing the young players in giving them an opportunity with the Socceroos, being in America, to sample what we are going to get in a couple of years’ time. We play against Mexico, No 12 team in the world and I think we did very well. There are things to improve on and that is giving away silly goals. On Cameron Burgess’ debut: I thought he did very well. His first international and the first time he has ever played alongside Harry Souttar or any of the other boys. I thought he fitted in very well. Overall I was very happy with the performance, but also, we can improve. On Jackson Irvine’s injury: He has rolled his ankle. He was in a lot of pain. They asked him if it was good and he said no. It is one of those things, unfortunately. Australian debutant Sam Silvera has had a few words with Channel 10. It is crazy, to be honest. You see how passionate these fans are here, you can barely hear yourself. It shows it is a great experience for me, it was a great team we came up against but we showed what we can do. We scored goals, we defended well but it is just unlucky that the result was 2-2. For Mexico, Jimmy Lozano will be happy with the fightback after a turgid first-half, and especially pleased with the ability of his substitutes to change the game. Raul Jimenez fired home a penalty, Cesar Huerta smashed in the equaliser, and Jordi Cortizo demonstrated he is worthy of more than cameo appearances. Australia defended with discipline and composure almost all night, but centre-halves Harry Souttar and Cameron Burgess each gave away horribly soft goals – both with Mat Ryan arguably at fault as well. Further downfield everyone in gold worked their socks off, but there was little of attacking note to get excited about. A couple of moves in the first half involving Connor Metcalfe and Jackson Irvine caught the eye, but this was a very reactive performance, continuing the theme from the World Cup, and the kind of showing that will frustrate Graham Arnold’s detractors. It is hard to see how this set-up converts to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and Asian Cup when the Socceroos will be gifted far more time in possession and expected to break down packed defences. What to make of all that? On one hand there were long passages of play lacking incident on a dreadful pitch, but on the other, there were three penalties and Mexico stormed back from 2-0 down to finish much the stronger of the two sides. Full-time: Mexico 2-2 Australia Honours even in Texas after a peculiar 90 minutes of international football. 90+4 mins: Cortizo is busy again in midfield, looking to free Huerta on the left once more, but Atkinson stands his ground and blocks the ball downfield. 90+3 mins: Atkinson is penalised for a textbook tackle in midfield and is rightly furious with the referee. 90+1 mins: Cortizo – who has that languid gait that makes him so fun to watch – finds Huerta on the left, and his dangerous cross is only cleared to the next wave of Mexican raiders. Huerta is again invited to cross from the left but Burgess heads away. Now Gallardo hoists one over from the left but Alvarado can’t get any purchase on his header and Ryan gathers. 90 mins: The delivery is decent but Australia have enough bodies to clear the danger. 89 mins: Another ball into that left channel is allowed to bounce by the Socceroos and Atkinson is forced to scrap just to concede a corner. 88 mins: Australia are now under the pump, clinging on for a draw with a resurgent Mexico, driven on by their lively substitutes, pushing for a winner. 86 mins: Irvine has to be replaced. He tried limping off but Australia have now called for a stretcher – much to the frustration of Mexico’s players eager to get on with the game. Replays show Irvine rolled his right ankle – not his left – chasing for possession in midfield. Hopefully it’s just a sprain and nothing more serious. O’Neill comes on in his place. And Degenek also joins the fray in place of Baccus. 85 mins: Australia have defended so well all night and they will be devastated to have conceded so softly. Meanwhile, Irvine is down clutching his left ankle and he looks in a lot of pain. GOAL! Mexico 2-2 Australia (Huerta, 84) Disaster at the back for the Socceroos! Delight for debutant Cesar Huerta! A long ball into the left channel looks meat and drink for Souttar but instead of heading the ball away he lets it bounce (did Ryan give him a shout?) and Huerta nips in to fire a handsome volley beyond Australia’s skipper at the near post. Lovely finish, catastrophic defending. 83 mins: More substitutions, with Artuna and Araujo making way for Alvarado and Alvarez. 82 mins: Silvera does well in the final third and releases Atkinson on the right but his cross from the touchline is gathered by Ochoa. Mexico respond quickly on the counter but Ryan is out smartly from his line and sweeps up the danger. 80 mins: It’s all Mexico now as Cortizo tries to jink his way from a central area to the left and fashion a cross, but Atkinson sticks to his task and the eventual delivery is unthreatening. 79 mins: As Erick Sanchez comes on for Herrera, Mexico’s sixth corner is as ineffective as the previous five. 78 mins: Now a low cross comes in from the right that Souttar does well to slide desperately and deflect behind for a corner. 77 mins: Mexico are pressing hard now and Cortizo is immediately into the action, scheming around the edge of the box. 76 mins: Cortizo comes on for Pineda. 74 mins: Mexico are upping the intensity in these closing stages with the two fullbacks operating as second wingers. Australia’s players continue to stick to their tasks in defence and deny any goalscoring opportunities. 72 mins: Baccus with some rare time and space in midfield. He feeds Boyle on the right, but the Mexican press is strong and the gold jerseys have to head backwards. The Socceroos have only briefly linked play tonight but they’ve still managed two set-piece goals. On comes the lively Silvera for the goalscorer Boyle. If the Socceroos are going to build a new era around a generation of younger players, the Middlesbrough winger is exactly the kind of talent they need to fire. GOAL! Mexico 1-2 (Jimenez, 70) Raul Jimenez makes a stuttered run-up and just manages to sidefoot the ball above the diving Mat Ryan who had again guessed the right way. PENALTY! (Mexico) Another penalty! The long ball into the right channel sees Antuna leading the foot race with Burgess, until the Mexican goes to ground under pressure. There wasn’t much contact shoulder-to-shoulder, but the forward’s boot got caught in the “turf” making the collision look more dramatic. 66 mins: A massive long diagonal from the right from Atkinson finds McGree on the left. He cuts in and drifts along the edge of the penalty area looking for an opening but none emerges. He shoots anyway but it’s blocked. Mexico counter at pace and a swift move ends with Gallardo lashing wide from eight yards out. He had more time to pick a better finish. 64 mins: After being out for so long through injury, that was a massive moment for Boyle, and he stood up to it superbly. Mexico have it all to do now after missing a spot-kick of their own only a few minutes earlier. GOAL! Mexico 0-2 Australia (Boyle, 63) Ochoa does his best to delay the spot kick and put off Martin Boyle, but the finish is unerring, rifled into the net for a first international goal in three years. PENALTY! (Australia) Riley McGree stands up the Mexican defence on the edge of the box then dinks the ball between two defenders. As he chases after possession, Romo comes across and needlessly hacks him down. Clear penalty! 60 mins: An hour gone, time for the substitutions to begin, starting with Gimenez and Vega being replaced by Raul Jimenez and Cesar Huerta. 58 mins: Rowles levers Antuna off the ball and sends the Mexican flailing with clouds of weird synthetic black dust being emitted from the surface like the residue of some evil spirit. Needless to say Antuna and the Mexican fans were unimpressed by the lack of a free-kick. 56 mins: Big let-off for Australia. Mexico’s one and only clear chance for the match and Gimenez struck the penalty superbly, only to see it fail to arc inside the post. PENALTY MISS! (Gimenez) Gimenez smashes his left-footed spot-kick to the right of the diving Ryan, but it strikes the upright and bounces away to safety! PENALTY (Mexico) Mexico are stepping up the pace of play and they get their reward! A long ball from right to left is kept alive at the far post. The lay-off infield is awkward but a Mexican boot strikes the bouncing ball and it cannons into the arm of Baccus. Penalty! 52 mins: As with the first half, this is not a free-flowing demonstration of jogo bonito. Now there’s a stoppage to allow Boyle to receive treatment after having his foot trodden on. 50 mins: Antuna gets a cross in from the right that bounces near the penalty spot with two Mexican forwards nearby, but neither can establish control and Australia clear. 48 mins: The second half begins as scrappily as the first until Vega and Gimenez combine nicely down the left. Atkinson does well to get his body in the way to snuff out the danger. A feature of the Socceroos tonight has been the discipline and commitment, especially following an initial mistake or setback. 46 mins: The second half begins with a yellow card to Metcalfe for a brazen shirt pull on the advancing Romo. Mexico looked most dangerous in the first half when Romo was able to carry the ball out from the base of midfield or spray longer passes into the channels. Finally El Tri retake the field. They also appear to have their starting XI intact. Australia are back out for the second half. No changes for the Socceroos. Mexico are leaving them waiting. Mexico with 70% of possession at the break. In fairness, not a great half of football, thanks is large part to the awful pitch, but Australia will be thrilled with their work, keeping Mexico at arm’s length and creating a few good chances of their own. The goal was a classic cross-it-to-the-big-lad corner and that big lad, Harry Souttar did what he does best, and get his head to the ball first and steer it into the net. Half-time: Mexico 0-1 Australia The aftermath of that clash continues to bubble as the whistle blows for half-time. 45 mins: Mitch Duke is booked for a lazily high and late boot on Alvarez deep in Mexican territory. The West Ham midfielder was not happy at all with the challenge and leaned his head in Duke’s direction to remonstrate. 43 mins: Nice one-two between Antuna and Pineda but the former’s cross from the right is headed clear. Still Mexico come, and another ball in from the right causes havoc this time. In the melee Gimenez goes to ground under pressure from Atkinson with artificial turf spraying everywhere. The defender gets a stud-end onto the ball in his challenge, and the referee in a great position to make a decision. That said, you’ve seen them given. Australia escape. 41 mins: Mexico are squeezing the Socceroos now, forcing Atkinson into a poor turnover in midfield, but the fullback does well to chase back and deflect the attempted cross behind for a corner. You know the drill by now. The delivery is overhit and Australia clear easily. 39 mins: Mexico are growing into this. A deep cross from the left reaches Antuna on the right who stands up Rowles and whips over a dangerous ball with his left foot that Atkinson has to deal with bravely at the far post. Another Mexican corner is dealt with by the Socceroos. 37 mins: Mexico’s best move of the match sees Ryan make a comfortable save from Gallardo. The left fullback was involved in a neat move on the touchline with Pineda and Vega, the No 10 showcasing a couple of deft flicks to unlock the Australian defence and invite Gallardo to shoot from the kind of area Olga Carmona drilled home the winner in the Women’s World Cup final recently. 35 mins: The little joy Mexico have enjoyed so far has come down the right with El Tri looking to isolate the makeshift left-back Rowles. Antuna has had plenty of crossing opportunities but nothing dangerous has materialised yet. 34 mins: Mexico’s third corner of the night is the best of the bunch, but it still isn’t great. The first ball isn’t cleared convincingly but HErrera gifts Australia a free-kick by trying to overhead volley the second ball, despite Irvine’s face being part of the mise en scène. 33 mins: Jackson Irvine has been the game’s standout performer so far, winning the ball regularly in midfield and picking the smart vertical pass to set up the Socceroos in attack. 32 mins: Australia come again through Metcalfe, breaking down the middle, but his simple square pass to Duke misses its target and the opportunity ebbs away.