Cesar Montes has sometimes had a tendency to fall into the trap of committing clumsy fouls. This one, though, was especially costly.
Mexico was up 2-0. South Africa was down to nine men. The match was effectively over. There was no need for Montes to put himself or his team in that position.
Now Aguirre will be without one of his defensive leaders against South Korea, who, on paper, look like the most experienced and dangerous opponent in the group.
Montes is not just another center back in Mexico’s rotation. He is one of the players trusted to organize the back line and handle the physical demands of World Cup matches.
His red card leaves The Tri with an avoidable problem after a game that should have ended without complications.
In a match set up perfectly for Mexico – at home, in front of a roaring crowd, against a South Africa side that finished with nine players – the ending introduced unnecessary questions. Aguirre will now have to reorganize his defense before the second group-stage match of the World Cup.
The crowd salvaged a good chunk of the performance, and the result gives Mexico the platform it wanted. But just as in 2018, Tri’s second opponent at a World Cup will be Son Heung-min’s South Korea.
This time, Mexico will arrive with three points, momentum, and a suspended center back it did not need to lose.
