Certainly no one expected Mexico to drop points at home to Jamaica in the first game of the Hexagonal. Not the Mexican team, not Chepo de la Torre, not the fans -- not even the Jamaicans, who celebrated the scoreless draw wildly at the final whistle.

This result will upset the El Tri apple cart in many ways, and that's probably for the best. Gone is the illusion that CONCACAF qualifying will somehow be easy this time around. Gone is the idea that Mexico should blow out its regional opponents at home. And gone for the moment is the high of 2012, with two bitter ties -- one that counts -- to kick off 2013.

Here are three thoughts on El Tri's shocking home draw Wednesday night:

1. CONCACAF or not, Mexico needs to concentrate

Teams are not going to simply roll over and play dead for El Tri. The Hexagonal will once again be a long, hard slog -- even for Mexico.

Jamaica was expected to be the easiest opponent of all in the Hexagonal -- and still may be -- but Mexico's display at home against the Caribbean nation was less than convincing in every way.

On the eve of the game, de la Torre explained patiently that his job was to get three points against Jamaica, not convince anyone with a great show. It looked for long stretches on Wednesday like the coach was the only one to believe that.

The Mexican players looked very much like a team that has bought into its own success and publicity --spectacularly dangerous at times but carelessly lax at others. Indeed, Jamaica should have had an early lead when Jobi McAnuff bounced a shot off the inside of the post then conspired to knock the rebound into a sprawling Jesus Corona. There were several other chances for the Jamaicans to take the lead as well.

Jamaica has brought in some new faces, and was surprisingly good. But if El Tri isn't careful, they'll also soon be surprised by the degree of difficulty of the rest of CONCACAF's so-called pushovers.

2. Hector Herrera's somewhat anonymous play is a symptom of all that's ailing El Tri

Herrera is not providing El Tri with the freewheeling attacking he is capable of in midfield. He looks confused in his holding midfield role alongside Carlos Salcido, unsure when to release into the attack and when to stay deep.

Herrera and Salcido should be complementary, but de la Torre's insistence on a defense-first two-holding-mid formation is complicating the partnership. Aside from robbing El Tri of Herrera (or another attacking midfielder) in most forays forward, the lack of a central attacking midfielder also makes El Tri's attack rather one-dimensional.

Mexico has great wingers, but the tendency to attack solely down the wings becomes predictable, and was easy enough for an organized Jamaican defense to shut down for well over 90 minutes. Mexico has plenty of attacking midfield solutions to this problem. The question is: Will they be employed before things get worse?

3. A draw to kick off the Hexagonal isn't the end of the road

Mexico will be just fine. There is still plenty of time to turn this thing around, though you wouldn't know it from the whistling crowd at El Azteca, which went to the length of cheering “ole” for the visiting Jamaicans' late-game passing combinations.

The hope should be that this game serves as the wake-up call Mexico needs. Headed to San Pedro Sula to face a hot Honduran team then back at home against what may be a desperate American team, things will get legitimately challenging in March.

El Tri is suddenly in deep, meaning it's time to stop talking about Confederations Cup matches with Brazil and Spain for the time being, and treat the immediate qualifying situation with the seriousness it deserves.

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