_MEXICO AND VALENCIA PLAY TO 2-2 DRAW IN THRILLING FRIENDLY

Puebla, Mexico - The Mexican national team and Spanish club Valencia CF played to an exciting 2-2 draw in a friendly match at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc on Wednesday night. The match, which served as a tune-up for Mexico's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, saw both teams create numerous scoring opportunities in front of a lively crowd. _MEXICO TAKES EARLY LEAD_ Mexico struck first in the 15th minute through Ozziel Herrera's stunning strike from outside the area. The 22-year-old midfielder collected a pass from teammate Sebastián Córdova and unleashed a powerful shot that left Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili with no chance. _VALENCIA EQUALIZES_ However, Valencia pulled level just before halftime through Dani Gómez's clever finish. The Spanish striker cleverly flicked a pass from teammate Uros Racic past Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 42nd minute. _SECOND-HALF DRAMA_ The second half saw both teams push for the win, with Valencia taking the lead in the 58th minute. Dani Gómez scored his second goal of the night, heading home a cross from Bryan Gil. But Mexico refused to give up, and their persistence paid off in the 71st minute. Valencia defender Vicent Abril scored an own goal, tying the game at 2-2. _POST-MATCH REACTIONS_ "We're happy with the result, but we know we can improve," said Mexico coach Gerardo Martino. "We created chances and showed character to come back from behind." Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso praised his team's performance, saying, "We played well, but we need to work on our defensive mistakes." _MATCH STATS_ - Date: October 12, 2024 - Venue: Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, Mexico - Attendance: 25,000 - Goals: Ozziel Herrera (MEX) 15', Dani Gómez (VAL) 42', 58', Vicent Abril (VAL, OG) 71' - Yellow cards: Sebastián Córdova (MEX), Bryan Gil (VAL) - Red cards: None