TOKYO —
If there was one play that best captured Mexico’s performance in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Japan in the Olympic soccer tournament, it came in the 53rd minute when forward Diego Lainez dribbled deep into the Japanese end, spun sharply to his left and drove his right foot toward the ball.
He whiffed, hitting only air before stumbling toward the turf as the ball rolled beyond the end line. Lainez swiped at the grass before rising, a look of both frustration and bemusement on his face.
If Mexico’s quick start to the tournament had its players thinking about how nice a gold medal might feel around their necks, Japan reminded them there’s a long way still to go, riding goals from Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan in the first 12 minutes to victory before 63,000 empty seats at Saitama Stadium, about 15 miles outside Tokyo.