SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Under clear skies at sold-out Levi’s Stadium, Mexico and Iceland kicked off their international friendly on a cool Friday night in the South Bay. Both national teams have qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the match served as a tune-up for both squads as the tournament’s start is now less than three months away.
Mexico, coached by Juan Carlos Osorio, a tactician with an almost obsessive attention to detail, put together a lineup that featured Raul Jimenez at forward and veteran captain Anres Guardado at midfielder. The CONCACAF Hex winners also gave goalkeeper Jesus Corona the start between the posts.