Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said his team "deserved to lose" to Mexico by more than the 2-1 margin and hailed goalkeeper Mohamed Al Owais for keeping the scoreline respectable as both teams crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday.
Mexico finish third on goal difference behind Poland, who lost 2-0 to Group C winners Argentina.
After their stunning victory over Lionel Messi' Argentina in the first match, Saudi Arabia's journey in the tournament ended with them bottom of the standings following successive defeats to Poland and Mexico.
"The result does not reflect the reality of the match, as we deserved to lose by more goals had it not been for Al Owais," Renard told a news conference.
"He saved us in the third minute and we couldn't handle Mexico's intensity and enthusiasm in the duels.
"We suffered physically, and we had to adapt to the injury of defender Ali Al Bulaihi. Mexico were the better team, and we knew that they would play aggressively in order to score more goals to qualify for the next round."
Player ratings
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SAUDI ARABIA RATINGS: Mohammed Al-Owais 7 – Made a handful of smart saves to deny Mexico a place in the last 16, and the goalkeeper cannot be blamed for Mexico’s two goals. Getty Images -
Hassan Tambakti 6 – In his return to the side, the centre-back stood up well in a physical battle. Received a booking in the second half after pulling the shirt of Martin. EPA -
Abdulelah Al Amri 6 – The defender provided plenty of strong tackles and was carded late into the contest. Reuters -
Ali Al Bulayhi 4 – Forced off after 36 minutes with a possible injury to his hamstring following a shove from Lozano. Getty Images -
Sultan Al Ghanam 5 – Looked better when venturing forward and he delivered an inch-perfect cross to set up Al Hassan just before half-time. Had the Falcon’s best chance to score but he could not keep his header on target. AFP -
Ali Al-Hassan 4 – Carded for absolutely clattering into Chavez after the Mexican nutmegged him, and he was replaced at the break. AFP -
Mohamed Kanno 6 – Took some neat touches in the game’s opening stages, but he struggled to get on the ball in the second half. AFP -
Saud Abdulhamid 7 – Dealt well with his defensive duties as he reverted to left-back after Al Bulayhi left the field. Provided a last-ditch block to deny Mexico a crucial third goal. AFP -
Firas Al Buraikan 4 – The Saudi frontman lacked pace and could not threaten when getting behind the Mexico defensive line. Getty Images -
Saleh Al Shehri 5 – The forward was fairly ineffective and was replaced by Al Aboud just after the hour mark. Getty Images -
Salem Al Dawsari 7 – The winger showcased some neat footwork and slotted the ball past Ochoa to score a consolation goal in the final minutes to break Mexican hearts. AFP -
Ahmed Sharahili (Al Bulayhi, 37) 6 – Came on in midfield and stood up well defensively in his competitive international debut. Reuters -
Abdullah Madu (Al Hassan, 46) 5 – Carded after bringing down Lozano just on the edge of the 18-yard box. AFP -
Abdulrahman Al Aboud (Al Sheri, 62) 5 – Little chance to influence the game. Getty Images -
Hattan Bahebri (Al-Ghanam, 88) N/A. Getty Images -
MEXICO RATINGS: Guillermo Ochoa 5 – The goalkeeper was not busy, but he was eventually beaten by Al Dawsari in the closing stages of the game. AFP -
Jorge Sanchez 6 – Read the game well defensively and then drove the ball up the pitch to urge his side forward. Getty Images -
Cesar Montes 7 – The defender showcased his range of passing and provided a clever flick to assist the opening goal. Getty Images -
Hector Moreno 5 – Solid display at the back and dealt with most of what came his way. Getty Images -
Jesus Gallardo 7 – Troubled the Saudi defence from a wide position and delivered some good crosses into the box. AP Photo -
Edson Alvarez 6 – The Ajax midfielder moved the ball well from the middle of the park. Received a yellow card after a late foul on Abdulhamid and was arguably lucky not to see another after another clumsy challenge. AP Photo -
Luis Chavez 9 – Produced a stunning free kick to double Mexico’s lead with his first international goal. He almost had a second set-piece goal but Al Owais matched his effort. A standout performer. AP Photo -
Hirving Lozano 7 – Proved dangerous after moving to the left after half time, as the Napoli winger looked to cut inside and shoot. Thought he had provided Mexico with a third goal, but Martin was offside in the build-up. Getty Images -
Orbelin Pineda 7 – An enthusiastic cameo from the AEK Athens man as he radiated confidence on the ball and constantly looked to open up the Saudi defence. EPA -
Alexis Vega 6 – Had an early chance after getting in behind the Saudi defence but it was smothered by Al Owais. He was replaced by Antuna at half time. EPA -
Henry Martin 8 – Involved in plenty of the action, and the livewire scored from close range to hand Mexico the lead just three minutes into the second half. Could have scored Mexico’s third, but he thrashed at the chance in a promising position. Getty Images -
SUBS: Uriel Antuna (Vega, 46) 6 – Tried to make things happen after coming on, and he thought he had scored the crucial third goal, but he could not time his run and was correctly adjudged offside. Getty Images -
Raul Jimenez (Martin, 77) 5 – Could not make an impact after being thrown on to find the third goal. AFP -
Carlos Rodriguez (Pineda, 77) N/A. Getty Images -
Kevin Alvarez (Sanchez, 86) N/A. Reuters -
Rogelio Funes Mori (Alvarez, 86) N/A. Reuters
The Frenchman refused to blame the fact his team were missing four players due to injury and suspension.
"The squad includes 26 players, and we have to deal with what we have. Yes, injuries affected us, but they are not an excuse. Against Poland, we were the better team, but we weren't efficient in the last third, but today we played poorly."
Despite their exit, Renard congratulated the Saudi players for their performance in the tournament.
"We did our best and we will not forget the work we did together. I am proud to work with the team and the players, but we did not deserve to win today," he added.
Renard's counterpart Gerardo Martino confirmed his reign as Mexico head coach was over following their World Cup exit.
After the game, former Barcelona boss Martino – who has been in charge of Mexico since January 2019 – said: “The contract expired with the final whistle and there is nothing else to do.
“I am the man responsible for the frustration and disappointment.
“It is real sadness and I assume all the responsibility for this huge failure.”
Mexico opened their World Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Poland before losing 2-0 to Argentina.
He ends his tenure with Mexico with a win-draw-loss record of 42-12-12 across all competitions.
