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VIDEO: Aldo De Nigris scored a goal in each half and gave Mexico a 2-0 victory over Wales on Sunday, the first of three friendlies in 11 days for the two-time defending CONCACAF champion before the start of World Cup qualifying.
De Nigris, playing for Mexico for the first time since September, headed in a cross from Monterrey teammate Severo Meza in the 43rd, and chested in a driven ball from Edgar Andrade in the 89th after Mexico dominated possession and outshot Wales 29-4.
The match in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford, New Jersey, was one of a series of friendlies for CONCACAF sides preparing for the start of the semifinal round World Cup qualifying on June 8. Panama defeated Jamaica 1-0 in Kingston later Sunday.
Mexico will face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday in Chicago and then Brazil in the Dallas suburb of Arlington on June 3 before facing Guyana to open qualifying five days later.
Besides De Nigris and Meza - who was making his first appearance for Mexico, manager Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre employed two other members of two-time CONCACAF Champions League champion Monterrey in his starting lineup: Jesus Zavala and Luis Ernesto Perez.
Mexico had an overwhelming share of possession and had attempted nine shots before Wales - playing under manager Chris Coleman for the first time - generated its first in the 25th minute, a header by Hal Robson-Kanu well wide of the left post.
El Tri was wide or high, most notably a left-footed shot by Giovani Dos Santos from the middle of the penalty area that skipped just outside the right post in the 35th.
It finally went ahead to the delight of the partisan crowd of 35,518 when Dos Santos played a ball wide to Meza, who sent a cross to the back post where De Nigris headed it just inside the left upright.
Welsh goalkeeper Jason Brown thwarted two of Mexico's best chances in the second half, going low to block Meza in the 52nd and a reaction save to block Dos Santos' header from inside the six-yard box in the 55th.
De Nigris added a second goal when Andrade hit a low ball into the goal box, where the Monterrey forward raced in and deflected it past Brown off his chest.
Despite his performance, De la Torre was not committing to using De Nigris in the upcoming friendlies or qualifiers.
"Being part of the starting lineup, you always have to play well," he said. "There is no security. It's based your work on the field, day in and day out.
Given the circumstances, we always look for the team to do well. Nobody is assured of the starting lineup."
De La Torre used five of his six substitutions, including inserting Jesus Molina in the after Zavala appeared to go down with an injury. Zavala was able to walk off the field under his own power.
Jamaica 0, Panama 1
In Kingston, Jamaica, Luis Renteria converted off a corner kick in the 16th minute to give "Los Canaleros" their first win in three matches.
The two will face off again in Panama City on Friday before their first qualifiers: Panama against Honduras, and Jamaica versus Guatemala.
The loss ended a five-game unbeaten streak for Jamaica.
