'We want people to criticize us' – Javier Aguirre responds to negative media reaction after Mexico's 4-2 loss to Switzerland

El Tri will kick off their Gold Cup campaign on June 14 against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium

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Mexico to face Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina

Gimenez scored vs SwitzerlandMedia criticize Emilio Lara and César MontesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Mexico’s national team received a reality check in falling 4-2 to Switzerland in their first warm-up match ahead of the Gold Cup. Javier Aguirre’s side came into the game riding high after winning the Nations League, but encountered a strong Swiss squad that brought them crashing back to earth.

Here’s a sample of media reaction to El Tri’s loss at Rice-Eccles Stadium:

"You lose? OK, it was just a friendly. Still, it would’ve been better to win it," said Ciro Procuna on ESPN’s debate table.

Francisco Gabriel de Anda, also on , added: "Emilio Lara didn’t perform well. Aguirre wanted to see him play, and he’ll make his decisions accordingly. If he sees something he doesn’t like, he won’t give you another chance. Aguirre is very clear about that – he doesn’t care what the media or execs say. Of course, it’s better to lose 4-2 to a strong team like Switzerland than to beat a mediocre side 3-0. That doesn’t teach you anything. I saw a team that’s committed and hungry to be in the national team. Switzerland was just a very good opponent."

Jorge Pietrasanta criticized another player: "We’ve been saying this about César Montes. He’s playing in Russia now, and it’s hard to watch him regularly, but when he comes back and plays, you can tell he’s no longer at the level he had in La Liga. I’d rather see Israel Reyes or Marcel Ruiz. I prefer Reyes over Montes. He looked very sluggish against Switzerland."

On Fox Sports’ , Javier Aguirre’s decision to start young Necaxa defender Emilio Lara was also questioned: "You can’t start Emilio Lara against Switzerland. He’s not even on the Gold Cup roster and yet you’re putting him in the starting lineup against a top-20 team in the world. It makes no sense – he won’t be used later, so what’s the point?"

Santiago Giménez, analyst and father of striker Santiago Giménez, also commented positively on his son's performance after ending a 969-minute goal drought with the national team: "When goal scorers find the net, it’s always good – it fuels competition. I’m happy for Santi because it had been a long time since he scored for El Tri. It’ll help him. He still needs to stay calmer in certain situations… he was rushing things a bit. Hopefully this goal gives him some relief."

Analyst Ortiz added: "He’s not at the level to be called up – not even as a sparring partner. Today’s game made that clear, as did his last few seasons with Club América. It’s in high-pressure moments when players’ true value shows."

AdvertisementAFPWHAT JAVIER AGUIRRE AND SANTIAGO GIMENEZ SAID

Javier Aguirre acknowledged the defeat.

"It’s never good to lose," he said. "We didn’t play well. It was a game with a lot of takeaways – more negatives than positives. But what we can salvage is the effort from Santiago Giménez and Ángel Sepúlveda. We want people to criticize us – we’ll prove what we’re capable of at the Gold Cup. There will be rotations against Turkey; that’s what these friendlies are for. We need to be fully prepared."

Santiago Giménez also reflected on the match.

"It was a tough game. Credit to them – they beat us.," he said. "Now we have to keep working ahead of the Gold Cup, which is the most important thing. Scoring for the national team always feels good. I left the first half with a bitter feeling, but thankfully I scored in the second. In the end, what matters is winning – it doesn’t matter who scores. Both Raúl (Jiménez) and I are at a great level."

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

One positive takeaway was Giménez, who ended a 16-game goal drought with the national team. His last goal had come during the 2023 Gold Cup final against Panama, where Mexico claimed the title.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

Mexico will face Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina. El Tri will then kick off their Gold Cup campaign on June 14 against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium.