​Fans had been waiting for it all night. Finally, Gilberto Mora entered the field in Harrison, New Jersey.Many in attendance at the home of the New York Red Bulls held signs referencing Mora and had been chanting the name of Mexico’s new No. 10, hoping he’d check in to El Tri’s friendly against Peru. The 17-year-old scored his maiden El Tri goal over the weekend after becoming a star at the 2025 Gold Cup and 2026 World Cup.The problem? The fans were gone by the time Mora stepped onto the field.Mora and other players who rested took the pitch only for light work after the match, with Mora wearing a long-sleeved warm-up jacket on top of his white match shorts.Without Mora, Mexico was able to secure a 1-1 draw with Peru, but the wait continues for the first victory with Mexico legend Rafa Marquez overseeing the team as manager.Here are three things we learned from El Tri’s draw with Peru:Rafa Marquez wasn’t kidding about taking care of Gilberto Mora – or other starsThe coach was clear that he feels a responsibility to make sure the teenage sensation doesn’t have too much on his shoulders, being it a heavy physical load or the expectations those cheering fans are putting on his shoulders.”We all now know about Gilberto’s quality. You have to try to take care of him, for him to develop,” Marquez said after the Colombia game. “He’s still very young. Among all of us, we’re going to do everything possible for him to continue growing.”That seemed to include not even giving Mora a cameo, as he had the night off against Peru, to the frustration of many fans in the building.Far from being protective of simply Mora, however, Marquez also rested other players who look to be key men in the years leading to the 2030 World Cup. Mora was able to converse on the bench for the entire match with center back Johan Vasquez, forward Armando “Hormiga” Gonzalez and midfielder Erik Lira if he liked.FUE UN GOLAZO Y MORITA LO SABE 👌🏻😮‍💨Así festejó Gilberto Mora el empate de México 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/1vbGLaVWHi— MedioTiempo (@mediotiempo) September 30, 2026Why? In part because Marquez wanted to give others an opportunity. He might also be prioritizing Saturday’s match against the United States. Marquez is part of the generation of players who remember when every meeting between the North American rivals mattered, whether it be a friendly in the first window after a World Cup or a do-or-die qualification game.Rafa Marquez’s halftime conversation might have workedEl Tri looked like a totally different side after the break, and the energy it came out with in the second half almost immediately paid dividends. Denzell Garcia teed up Victor Guzman on a set piece, with the center back heading in the equalizing goal Mexico needed.View this post on Instagram”We trained it very little because of time, but it was a play we drew up in that way,” Guzman told TUDN after the match.Even after the goal, there continued to be a good burst from Mexico, only for the game