Mexico’s Under-20s might have given a good showing of themselves against Spain on Tuesday, but the team crashed out of a World Cup it was supposed to be a favorite for at the Round of 16 stage.
In
the end, the record reads one win in four games in Turkey and adds
another failure to a miserable summer for Mexico’s national teams,
following poor Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifying performances.
The
balloon surrounding the Mexican game following last summer’s Olympics
appears to have burst and there could well be repercussions. But, for
now, attention turns to Mexico’s B squad, which has been given the task of lifting the Gold Cup to end the summer with a least one bright spot for Mexico.
The latest version of El Tri hasn’t had the best buildup to the tournament. Oribe Peralta, Omar Bravo, Hugo Ayala, Cirilo Saucedo, Fernando Arce and David Cabrera have all pulled out of the squad for different reasons and it really is a makeshift mix of players who will be involved in the United States.
The
team has not been firing on all cylinders so far, losing its second
warm-up game on Saturday, 1-0 against Cruz Azul Hidalgo, with only
Wednesday’s game against Queretaro to go before Sunday’s opener in the
Rose Bowl against Panama.
Getting the hastily brought together
team to click naturally has been problematic, with Salvador Reyes taking
over the pre-tournament preparation and a wide variety of players
selected - from veteran, tried and tested players such as Joel Huiqui
and Rafa Marquez Lugo, to youngsters like Isaac Brizuela.
On
the bright side for Mexico, the players involved know that it is not
just a tournament trophy at stake, but also a chance to state a claim to
the full national team.
Marco Fabian
has the opportunity to make a statement for the first time at the full
international level and prove to coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre
that he can be the player to unlock tight defenses and link plays
between midfield and attack.
At right back, Israel Jimenez and Miguel Layun know the spot is up for grabs and will be keen to prove they deserve a chance in World Cup qualification.
In the center of midfield, Leon’s Carlos Pena and Chivas’ Jorge Enriquez will be aiming to replace aging Gerardo Torrado by showing they are ready to step up with some authoritative displays.
The other player who could make an impression is America forward Raul Jimenez.
Brought into the squad after Cabrera dropped out injured, Jimenez has
been shuffled to the front of the line to play alongside Javier Hernandez.
However, his position is far from secure and a good Gold Cup would be a timely boost with Aldo de Nigris set to be out until right before September’s qualifying games against Honduras and the big away game against the United States.
Which brings us to the other subtext of this (and every other recent) Gold Cup, namely the Mexico-U.S. rivalry.
Ever since El Tri’s
2011 Gold Cup victory, a period of Mexican dominance was forecast, but
this year’s showing has seen a new shift, with the United States
adapting and responding to Jurgen Klinsmann and Mexico looking increasingly despondent under de la Torre.
The
Stars and Stripes are sailing in first place and are virtually walking
to Brazil 2014, while Mexico still has a lot of work to do and can’t
afford to slip up.
The tables have turned between the regional
giants and the Mexican soccer federation (FMF) will be looking to at
least partly rectify that in the Gold Cup.
