Along with European champions Spain, co-hosts Mexico are the only teams yet to concede a goal at the World Cup, which illustrates the enormity of the task ahead of Harry Kane and his England side in their Round of 16 tie at the Azteca Stadium.
In modern football, teams usually attack and defend as a unit. But there are still some individuals who are key to the effectiveness of the effort. In the case of the Mexican defence, they are Cesar Montes and Johan Vásquez, two friends who hail from the same region of the country, grew up playing together and are now jointly responsible for keeping El Tri’s back door shut, giving their attacking players the freedom and confidence to find the goal.
“I think I was about 10 or 11 when I saw him for the first time. We met in Pachuca, and that’s when we knew we were from the same state, the same region, the same area,” Vasquez told FIFA of his defensive partner.
“We met again when we were in Cimarrons de Sonora, then in Monterrey and now we are both playing for the national team.”
A bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics and several players from that group have played a key role in Mexico’s impressive run at the World Cup.
“We’ve become a family in the national team. We know each other and have played together for years. That’s the main thing,” Vasquez said.
Knowing each other for a long time has certainly helped Mexico in their battle to keep clean sheets in their four matches to date.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing to give the team a sense of security and for the team to be able to trust you. We try to do our job, but just because you don’t concede a goal doesn’t mean everything is perfect defensively. The two don’t have to be equal; there have been times when a teammate, a goalkeeper or someone else has saved us,” and really gives us credit for all the efforts. said the 27-year-old who plays for Genoa in Italy.
“We’ve known each other for a long time and we know each other’s limits. I think that’s what makes us defend so well.”
Their friendship extends beyond the football pitch and is closer to the field.
“Being from the same place, you tend to take care of each other. I’ll go to a new club and not know anyone else. You gravitate to the person closest to where you’re from. When I first arrived, he welcomed me and helped me with a lot of things,” Vasquez added.
