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WATCH: Mexico Blitzes Paraguay Early, Almiron Sent Off in Friendly

Mexico made it two wins under Tata Martino in as many matches, beating Paraguay 4-2 in a match that featured fireworks early and late.

Avi Creditor

WATCH: Mexico Blitzes Paraguay Early, Almiron Sent Off in Friendly
WATCH: Mexico Blitzes Paraguay Early, Almiron Sent Off in Friendly /

Mexico made it two wins under Tata Martino in as many matches, beating Paraguay 4-2 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Tuesday night in a game that featured fireworks early and late.

Mexico, on the heels of its 3-1 win over Chile, jumped out to a 3-0 lead 24 minutes into the match. Jonathan Dos Santos started the scoring in the sixth minute, happily running onto a poor defensive header and smashing home off the half-volley. Two minutes later, Paraguay's shambolic defense struck again, with Gustavo Gomez turning a cross into his own goal to putting his side down 2-0.

The lead grew to 3-0 soon after, with Dos Santos feeding Chicharito at the top of the box, where the veteran forward finished off his 51st career international goal to extend the advantage.

Paraguay, still adjusting to life under new manager Eduardo Berizzo after former Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio suddenly resigned last month, pulled a goal back just before the hour mark through Hernan Perez, whose shot was touched but couldn't be kept out by goalkeeper Raul Gudiño.

Things became more heated as the match wound down. Miguel Almiron, less than eight minutes after coming on as a substitute, was chasing down Jose Juan Vazquez from behind when he cleated the Mexican in the back of his knee, earning a straight red card.

That didn't seem to deter Paraguay in its comeback attempt, as Derlis Gonzalez brought the South Americans within 3-2 in the 84th minute.

Luis Montes restored the two-goal edge in stoppage time, though, with a 91st-minute goal that finished off the win to cap a successful first camp under Martino's watch–and give the manager a win over a side that he coached to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2010.

Mexico will face another pair of South American nations, Venezuela and Ecuador, as tune-ups for this summer's Concacaf Gold Cup, as it looks to reclaim the region's championship and win it for a record eighth time.

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Avi Creditor
AVI CREDITOR

Avi Creditor is a senior editor and has covered soccer for more than a decade. He’s also a scrappy left back. 

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