Mexico star Luis Romo conceded his side are "not at the best level" after a frustrating 1-1 draw at Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League.
Leon Bailey opened the scoring for the hosts after just four minutes on Tuesday when he headed Shamar Nicholson's cross home.
Jamaica could have doubled their lead soon after, but Nicholson was denied by the crossbar, allowing Mexico a lifeline after a tepid start.
Mexico capitalised on that opportunity in additional time in the first half, with Romo finishing past Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake.
However, Gerardo Martino's side could not find a winner in the second half, leaving them a point behind leaders Jamaica, who have played a game more in their Nations League group.
With the World Cup in Qatar just five months away, Romo admitted his country have been far from their best but backed them to deliver at world football's historic tournament.
"Inside we realise that we have to overcome everything, the criticism we must take. We know that we are not at our best or maximum level, but we are very aware of what we can achieve," he told TUDN.
"A World Cup and an opportunity to make history motivates us a lot."
Mexico were somewhat fortunate to not fall behind again in the second half, with Kevin Alvarez making a goal-line clearance after the break.
El Tri arguably deserved to share the points, though, after forcing numerous saves from Blake in the final 45 minutes, and Romo believes Mexico may have even deserved to win.
"In the second half we got stuck," Romo added. "I think we deserved a bit more."
Coach Martino was left satisfied with June's internationals nevertheless.
"All the players adapted well to this training camp. It is complicated to work with 38 players, and they did well," he told reporters.
"Each match had situations that will help us analyse the future."
Mexico are not next in action until August 31, when they face Paraguay in a friendly in Atlanta.
Premier League return 'will have to wait' for Gyokores, says former Portugal defender Andrade
Viktor Gyokeres should focus on continuing to shine for Primeira Liga leaders Sporting CP and not be tempted by a move away, according to former Portugal defender Jorge Andrade.
The Sweden striker has been a revelation since his move from Coventry City in 2023, topping the league's scoring charts with 29 goals last season as the Lions won the Primeira Liga title.
Gyokeres has netted 12 times already for club and country this term, including in his last eight outings after scoring on his Champions League debut in Tuesday's 2-0 win against Lille.
Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly keen on landing the 26-year-old's signature, though Andrade – speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal – believes Gyokeres should stay put.
"Viktor has already been to England and played in the Championship. That makes you wonder if he should come back to the Premier League so quickly," Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, told Stats Perform.
"He is adapting very well to the Portuguese league. He can play in the Champions League with Sporting. He can be the biggest star of a great club like Sporting. You will have to wait [for him to return to England].
"The values are high, but he's a player who values those values. He's a very strong player, he makes a difference in the club he's at.
"He's already in Sweden's national team. He is one of the key players in that team that has been down a lot since [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic left.
"But I think he is a great player, and he will not think about the Premier League immediately.
"I'm sure that in the future, if Sporting is successful, he can still go to that great league."
Bompastor wary of Villa threat as first WSL match approaches
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor is excited to begin her maiden Women's Super League campaign when the Blues face Aston Villa on Friday evening.
Bompastor joined the club in the summer after three successful years at Lyon, which includes three straight Division 1 Feminine titles and a Champions League win in 2022.
She will be following the hugely popular Emma Hayes, who enjoyed plenty of success of her own at Chelsea before moving on to coach the United States' women's team, but Bompastor insists the attention should not just be on her as her side aim to retain their title.
She said: "I just feel like it's not only about me. I think it's about Chelsea. It's also about the players, you know, and we feel ready.
"We are the holders of the title, and we want to start the league strongly tomorrow night."
Chelsea and Hayes were victorious in each of the last five editions of the WSL and her successor believes she possesses enough quality in her squad to challenge on all fronts this season.
"When you're Chelsea, you just want to win every single title," said Bompastor.
"You want to compete in every competition, and we know all the teams will be ready. It will be tough, but we feel ready, and you know, the players are really competitive."
Bompastor is wary of the threat of Villa, who have enjoyed a productive pre-season under new manager Robert de Pauw.
She said: "If you look at Aston Villa's results, they had a good pre-season with good results. In their last game they beat Manchester City, who last night beat Paris FC 5-0."
"We have a lot of respect for Villa, they have a good quality squad, and they had good results, so we know the first game will be important.
"We just want to focus on ourselves and be able to start the league as strongly as we can."
Last year’s beaten finalists Hydel move to six points from two games with win over Clan Carthy
An inspirational super sub-performance by Sean-John Curchar propelled last year’s beaten finalists Hydel High to a 4-0 win over Clan Carthy High in ISSA/Manning Cup action at the Homestead Community Centre on Wednesday.
Curchar provided a goal and an assist as Hydel secured their second win in as many games this season on their quest to claim a maiden Manning Cup title.
Despite being two from two and yet to concede a goal, Hydel are currently second in Zone A behind Eltham High who improved their record to three wins from three with a 5-0 win over Dunoon Technical.
Eltham have now scored 20 goals in three games and have also yet to concede.
St. Andrew Technical High School defeated Camperdown 2-0 and moved to seven points as they continue to lead the pack for Zone D.
Vauxhall High again showed resilience as they held Calabar High to a goalless draw and remained second after yet another stellar home performance.
Elsewhere, STATHS moved to the top of Zone D with a 2-0 win over Camperdown at Boys’ Town while Calabar High and Vauxhall played out a 0-0 draw at Vauxhall.
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