Carlos Fierro Is on the Right Path for Mexico

Carlos Fierro made his senior debut with Chivas on August 20, 2011, just one month after winning the U-17 World Cup and 15 days after his older brother passed away. Fierro is one of the most promising strikers in Mexican football, but is he the real deal?

Fierro comes from Guadalajara’s youth system. Little by little, he has proven to be a strong and intelligent finisher.

As opposed to Lionel Messi, who was called up to the Argentinean senior team at age 18, Fierro’s breakthrough came at the 2011 U-17 World Cup.

He was the first Mexican to score in the competition; by the end of the tournament he was El Tri’s top scorer with four goals and received the Bronze Ball. He quickly became one of the most promising footballers of the country.

There was speculation that El Güero could be heading elsewhere. His agent told Goal.com that Arsenal and Barcelona were interested in the Mexican.

Ultimately, he stayed at Chivas and debuted in the 2011 Apertura tournament of the Liga MX. In that season, he became Guadalajara’s most used substitute, having played eight times.

Two years have gone by, and Fierro has had to face some tough competition in Guadalajara. The arrival of veteran strikers, such as Rafael Marquez Lugo, Miguel Sabah and Aldo de Nigris, has pushed him to the limit.

However, he has become a thriving force. In the 2013 Apertura—the current tournament—Fierro has played in 11 matchdays out of 12. He has started 10 games and completed six. He has also scored once and has played 847 minutes.

All proportions kept, like Messi, Fierro is a team player but also individually brilliant. He can keep the ball and finish a play in the blink of an eye.

Despite being a natural No. 9, the Mexican brings depth to the team. At the 2011 World Cup he helped through the flanks by feeding balls to Giovanni Casillas, Jorge Espericueta and Julio Gomez, converting two of his passes for assists.

With Barcelona and Argentina, Messi has also proven to be an instrumental piece in that department. From August 2012 to October 2013 he has 21 assists.

The Argentinean dribbling skills are superb and his execution is top-class.

Fierro needs to work on both of them, but at age 19 he has proven to be one of the best of his generation.

El Güero’s ability to adapt to a new position, as a winger, is the reason why he has been playing on a regular basis in the Liga MX and is not getting crumbs like many of his World Cup teammates—Antonio Briseño has appeared nine times with Atlas, and Julio Gomez has not played with Pachuca since October 2012.

Physically, both footballers are short, thin and fast. They can get pass the defenders easily, unbalancing the rivals’ backbone. Once they are in front of the keeper is almost impossible to miss a shot.

Fierro can become one of Mexico’s top players. He has a long way to go and has to polish his skills but he is definitively on the right track. The more he plays with his club, the better and more confident he’ll get.

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