Mexico impressed but also fell short Tuesday night with a tie against Argentina in Arlington’s AT&T stadium. Though the stadium brought its own challenge with some of the worst grass I’ve ever seen professionals play on, most of the challenges for El Tri were self-fulfilling.

Here are five things that stood out:

1. Rafa Marquez is still the great savior of the defense.

My last comments about the defense for the Trinidad and Tobago stand true today. Only instead of getting figurative images of what Mexico looks like without Rafa, we got literal representation of the long-time veteran brings to the table for El Tri. There was assertiveness. Confidence. There was direction on how to play and when to play it. Couple that with Moises Munoz’s great performance for the majority of the game, and we saw great chemistry from the back line that did not have that much to worry about.

Jose “Gallito” Vaz quez helped out with that playing the defensive mid and helping the backline with whatever he could do. Then Tuca took both him and Rafa out within a matter of minutes and it all fell apart. In just ten minutes, Argentina managed to tie the game. It is likely Rafa will play the playoff against the United States but realistically speaking, there are not many years left in Rafa and Mexico needs to find someone to take his spot before 2018 comes around.

2.The starting keeper for Mexico is still up for debate.

Despite the unfortunate error by Munoz in the last minutes of the game, his performance throughout the match was very impressive; much more impressive than that of Talavera’s during the T&T friendly. He came out. He jumped to get the ball against forwards and defenders alike. He called for the ball. There was a great amount of confidence in him. The mistake that cost him the clean sheet can make his place as the starter debatable but considering Tuca most likely is not bringing Ochoa and his other option is Talavera, looks like the keeper for the playoff will be Munoz.

3. Mexico was the stronger team,

The last minutes of the game do not reflect the overall performance of the either team. Messi did not show up until his goal and the rest of the Argentine side looked clumsy for most of the game as well. The 2-2 draw left a bad taste but overall, Mexico was the better team. Rafa held the defense to a strong position, Herrera, Vazquez and Guardado did great playing in the midfield and the attacking front had plenty of chances to finish (even though they didn’t, the chances were there). Herrera’s goal put him in a better place following the last goal he made against T&T. Collectively, Mexico looked strong and it served them well for future matches.

4.Chicharito played better but making too many mistakes.

He scored the penalty that secured the lead for Mexico in the first half but that doesn’t take away from the amount of misses he had in both halves of the game. Chicharito has had a rough time of it from a club standpoint. His time at Real Madrid did not live up to expectation and he finally had a decent amount of playing time for Bayern Leverkusen not too long ago. But his recent stints for the Mexican squad have not been great performances. The match against Argentina was a recent example of what is going on with Chicharito. He had lots of talent and was able to be in the right spot, but he was not living up to his potential and missing more goals than he should be. The penalty kick saved him (and that is probably why he was so insistent on shooting it) but the rest of the game was not great from him. Too many mistakes and not enough result. It would be best not to have him start against the United States.

5. Tuca is unpredictable and the coaching position needs lots of work.

After seeing the line-up for the T&T match, Tuca’s methods were questionable. The line-up for the match against Argentina was much more expected considering their opponent and worked out well for the majority of the game. But as is the case with the Mexican side, the coaches oftentimes make changes at the worst times. Hector Herrera and Gallito Vazquez were taken out and Rafa was shortly injured afterward, leading to a complete deterioration of what was holding the team together. Perhaps it was just a ploy to let them rest but choices must be made wisely. The game was great as a definite confidence booster but the match ended in a tie in which the two goals from Argentina came in just ten minutes. Both the US and Mexico have a lot of work to do before their match-up but Mexico’s biggest problem could actually cost them the match: their defense. And considering Tuca is only coaching up until that game, that leaves the power of directing this dilemma in the hands of a silhouette man that has yet to be named.

It is a very dangerous place for Mexico to be in.

Mexico tied their newest "clasico" challenger, Trinidad & Tobago, in a friendly Friday evening in a 3-3 match. The match is part of Mexico’s preparation for the Confederations Cup playoff against the United States coming up in October.

The game was also the first game under the newest interim coach—Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti’s—wing. And the conclusion was very unconvincing.

Here are a few key points to take from this game:

1. There is no real leader in the back.

This might be a little unfair to put on Tuca’s plate considering its been a problem even when Piojo Herrera had the team. But it was shown even more against T&T. Ochoa was not called up for the friendly, “Maza” Rodriguez was reported injured earlier this week due to a knee injury and having Rafa Marquez on the bench was the perfect symbolism of what is going on with the Mexican defense. Ever since the departure of Rafa Marquez, there has not been a consistent or “true” leader for El Tri that commands the center position and takes control of the players in the back.

Talavera was luckluster during this match. Coming out too much when it was not the right time. Getting frustrated at his players, especially during that free kick that resulted in the third goal. Talavera was not the best choice. Mexico needs an assertive that will secure the defense is always on their toes and no mistakes can be made.

2. The players chosen for this game were not ideal.

Many already questioned Tuca’s choice for players when he announced he would not be bringing Ochoa, Jonathan Dos Santos or Gio Dos Santos (despite his great performance with Galaxy as of late). He made it clear that his style of playing had him drift to other players, preferably some from his club team, Tigres. But what started the match tonight was nothing short of confusing. Honestly, whenever the camera panned to the bench, one would think Tuca was living a Freaky Friday. Guardado, Chicharito, Jose Vasquez, and even Rafa Marquez were all sitting on the bench while players like Henry Martin, Dueñas, and Alanis were given starting positions and played a majority of the match.

The only time that things were really getting interesting was when substitutions were made such as when Raul Jimenez and Hector Herrera came in. Both subs also scored following their entrance into the game.

Martin suffered an injury and hopefully that inspires Tuca to realize that he needs to make better decisions when it comes to his line-up.

3. The confidence of the veterans needs to stay consistent.

Hector Herrera’s spectacular goal that led to Mexico’s third goal that secured them the draw is a perfect example of this. The Gold Cup was not friendly to Herrera and much of his playing time during that tournament was frankly, undeserved. But he came into this match and was more confident and secure in his style of playing. So much so that it led to him scoring. Couple that with Chicharito’s recent departure from Manchester United to Bayern Leverkusen where his debut match gave him over 70 minutes of playing time, it is important for the veteran players to continue to try to regain any confidence they might have lacked previously. Guardado is at the top of his game. Gio is as well (which is why it is so important he be given playing time with El Tri). It is always crucial to train the new generation but the generation currently taking shape with the team is still in its prime. Tuca shouldn’t let that go to waste.

In the end, Tuca’s experiment, whatever it was during this game was a very bad first impression. There were too many errors, not enough star quality and a definite ease to the T&T team that allowed those three goals. If he wants any chance of beating Argentina, (and really, trying to go into the Confederation Cup playoff with some sort of intimidation), he better start thinking up a new method to his madness.