Mexico vs. Panama: Winners and Losers from International Friendly

Mexico extended their unbeaten run to 12 games on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win over Panama in Toluca. 

El Tri used a 45th-minute goal from Carlos Vela to beat their CONCACAF foe, who they also downed in the Gold Cup semifinals this summer. 

The victory for Ricardo Ferretti's side came off the heels of a 3-2 extra-time win over the United States that clinched a berth at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. 

Although some of the Mexico players looked sluggish out on the pitch, they were able to get the job done at home, which is something their biggest rival couldn't brag about on Tuesday. 

Here's a look at our winners and losers from Mexico's victory over Panama.

Mexico goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera impressed in between the pipes in his club's home stadium in the 1-0 win. 

The Toluca man sprung into action in the eighth minute as he tipped Armando Cooper's shot out of play. He also made a vital save late in the match to deny Felipe Baloy. 

The pair of key denials were a part of a strong performance from the 30-year-old, who is one of a few goalkeepers fighting for the No. 1 spot at the moment. 

Talavera certainly looked the part on Tuesday, but he now has to impress incoming manager Juan Carlos Osorio.

If he thrives in a start under the new coach, Talavera may be able to distance himself from the other candidates for the job.

Leonel Parris was considered one of our winners right before the half-time whistle blew, but his one key error on Mexico's goal changed our mind. 

The Panama defender whiffed on a clearance of Javier Aquino's cross from the left side of the box and allowed Carlos Vela to slip in and score the lone strike of the contest. 

While Parris did have a decent game, including a sixth-minute clearance off the line, he let Mexico take advantage of his one brief slip in form. 

With World Cup qualifying now on the horizon for Panama, those small mistakes have to be avoided, especially in the toughest of the three groups in CONCACAF alongside Jamaica, Haiti and Costa Rica.

Like it or not, forwards are judged by how many goals they score. 

And luckily for Carlos Vela, he leaves the match as a winner due to his 45th-minute strike that saw him pounce on a defensive mishap near the left side of the goal. All the Real Sociedad man had to do was tap the ball into the back of the net and El Tri had a one-goal lead heading into the break. 

Although it doesn't seem like much, Vela was able to get near goal as Javier Aquino sent his cross in from the left. Because of his wherewithal in the box, the 26-year-old was able to strike on one of the few clear-cut opportunities of the match. 

With a fully committed Vela up top alongside the likes of Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Oribe Peralta and Jesus Corona, Mexico should finish first with ease in their World Cup qualifying group even if one of their leading forwards goes down.

El Tri interim boss Ricardo Ferretti started plenty of his reserves on Tuesday after the 120-minute match with the United States on Saturday.

Outside of Talavera in goal and Vela's brief moment of quality in front of goal, many of the players on the pitch for Mexico disappointed. 

From the center-back pairing of Miguel Herrera and Jose Rivas to midfielders like Javier Guemez and Javier Aquino, no one took advantage of the opportunity to shine in Ferretti's last match in charge. 

Although some of the players will get a chance to impress when Osorio takes over, they didn't make an imprint on the new boss, which could lead to some of them being dropped from the squad for November's World Cup qualifiers.

The biggest winner of the night was Ferretti, who left his post as interim boss with two wins and two draws following the victory over Panama. 

Ferretti entered the Mexico program on a short-term basis after the Gold Cup, and he helped El Tri earn a 2-2 draw with Argentina and a berth in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. On top of that, Mexico's Olympic team captured first place in the qualifying tournament on Tuesday. 

Ferretti may not go down as the best or most-loved manager in Mexico history, but he was able to leave on a high note with a positive result in front of the home fans. 

Now the focus shifts to what Osorio will do with the team moving forward into World Cup qualification. Given the turnover of the job, we may be talking about another new boss before El Tri make their first venture into Russia in 2017. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90