Team Overview
By Cesar Hernandez | @CesarHFutbol |
After losing 2-1 to Ecuador in the group stage of last year’s Copa America in Chile, El Tri has since gone on a 17-game run without a single loss in any competition. Although impressive, many skeptics have been quick to point out that 15 of those games have been against CONCACAF opponents. Mexico is currently the king of the region, but that may mean little-to-nothing against a daunting South American opponent like Brazil or Colombia.
Despite the fact that El Tri has dominated numerous CONCACAF tournaments, Mexico has emerged empty-handed in the nine previous invitations to CONMEBOL’s Copa America. The national team nearly clinched a championship in 1993 and 2001, but bowed out of the competition as a finalist during both occasions.
That being said, El Tri now has a great opportunity to fight for this year’s title. With a significant amount of Mexico fans in the U.S. that will be sure to be in attendance, El Tri will be motivated to chase a first-ever championship.
Key player
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is the easy answer here, but a more appropriate response would be PSV Eindhoven’s Andres Guardado.
The 29-year-old is a highly intelligent player that is not only excellent with his distribution going forward, but also with his interceptions in the midfield. With an endless amount of energy, and 126 appearances for El Tri, Guardado may prove to be the most significant member of the starting XI next month.
As for his role, Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio has yet to confirm whether Guardado will be a defensive midfielder or one of the two attack-minded midfielders in his 4-3-3 formation. The veteran has recently thrived in the defensive midfield position for PSV and appears better suited to continue at this spot with the national team. Either way, Guardado will undoubtedly be a focal point for Mexico and a constant provider of key passes and long balls.
Keep an eye on the PSV player. The midfielder recently won a second consecutive league title with his club and will be entering the tournament with plenty of confidence.
Manager spotlight
Since his appointment as manager last October, Osorio has so far been impeccable with his five wins in five games for El Tri. During that run, Mexico scored 12 times against their opponents and has yet to allow a goal under the leadership of Osorio.
It’s a dream start for the Colombian who at first wasn’t greeted with open arms from critics and fans.
After numerous rumors of Marcelo Bielsa taking charge of Mexico, and multiple other high-profile names as well, many were let down last year when the former Puebla coach was appointed as the new leader for El Tri. Osorio had never coached a national team beforehand and was underwhelming in his previous short stint in the Liga MX. As Puebla’s manager, Osorio only amassed a meager total of two wins in 11 games for Los Camoteros during the 2012 Clausura.
With five wins now in hand for Mexico, the manager has been able to win over much of the public, but a poor showing in the Copa America could prove to be disastrous for the Colombian. The FMF (Mexican Football Federation) is infamous for its fickle nature towards managers and might lose a significant amount of confidence in Osorio if the coach struggles during the tournament.
Success looks like…
At least a spot in the semifinals.
Although Uruguay might prove to be a headache for Mexico in the first match of the group stage, there is no reason why El Tri shouldn’t be able to secure victories against Venezuela or Jamaica. On paper, Mexico’s multiple options in the attack should be able to rack up goals in the two matches following the opener against Uruguay.
Looking at the knockout stage, El Tri would then likely face Argentina or Chile in the quarterfinals. Both sides are arguably better than Mexico, but a loss would feel like a heart-breaking reminder of the six consecutive times that El Tri has fallen out of the World Cup during the first stage of the knockout round.
If Mexico was to end its run during the quarterfinals, it might be a stretch to say it would be a failure, but very few would be celebrating the accomplishment.
A top four finish might be unrealistic for some, but it’s key to remember that Mexico will likely have more supporters than any other team in the competition. Every match, even potentially against the United States, will have a home-game atmosphere for El Tri.
Failure looks like…
Not leaving the group stage.
This might seem like a highly unlikely scenario, but you wouldn’t have to look too far into the past to find some eyebrow-raising results for Mexico. During the last summer’s Gold Cup, El Tri stumbled into the championship with questionable penalty calls and draws against Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago. Mexico eventually emerged with the Gold Cup trophy in hand, but the championship felt bittersweet for many who expected better performances from El Tri.
Mexico has moved on from then-manager Miguel Herrera and is now under new leadership, but a majority of those players involved in that tournament will also likely be included in next month’s roster.
It’s also important to note that Mexico’s first match of the competition will be up against Uruguay. A loss against La Celeste is completely plausible, and would then put plenty of pressure on Mexico to find an immediate victory in the following match against Jamaica.
