5 Things for Mexico to Be Positive About Following Win Against Honduras
Mexico made amends with their fans on home soil. El Tri defeated Honduras 2-0 and in a way that showed their superiority in every line, and showed the process toward Russia 2018 is slowly taking shape.
After a draw to Chile and a victory over Bolivia, Miguel Herrera's side looked rusty and looked to have lots of trouble scoring, but against Los Catrachos things worked smoothly.
Javier Hernandez scored again, while the back line finally showed improvements. The game also helped Herrera find promising footballers in key positions, such as Antonio Rios.
Honduras was far from being the side that defeated Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, but in all fairness El Tri was also different and dominant.
The rhythm and verticality Herrera's formation provides has given this team a lift.
Let's take a look at five things to be positive about.
Javier Hernandez Is Back on Track
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Javier Hernandez opened the score against Honduras with a fantastic right-foot shot inside the penalty box.
In the September friendlies, against Chile and Bolivia, Chicharito didn't appear because he was settling in with Real Madrid.
His goal vs. Los Catrachos is his second in his last three appearances—he put the ball away vs. Croatia in the 2014 World Cup—and his first start since June, when Mexico lost 1-0 to Bosnia.
It was Hernandez's 37th goal, which puts him closer to tying Cuauhtemoc Blanco as Mexico's second-best all-time scorer. Bleacher Report UK highlighted Chicharito's goal:
"A superb goal from Chicharito was followed up a not-so-superb celebration. At least it’s entertaining: https://t.co/sSxhPEgnxs
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) October 10, 2014"
The Centre-Backs Were Consistent
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When Mexico faced Chile and Bolivia, they struggled in the back line. Herrera has been trying different footballers to cover the three available spots in the center of the box.
It hasn't been easy, mainly because most of them hadn't played for El Tri before, such as Oswaldo Alanis.
The Santos Laguna defender couldn't keep up against La Roja, and he sat on the bench for most of the game versus Bolivia.
However, his performance in the Liga MX continues on the up. He has a 100 percent shot accuracy and 74 percent pass completion, according to Squawka.
This was enough for Herrera to cap him again, and Alanis didn't disappoint. He scored with a powerful header, recovered three balls and had a 86 percent passing accuracy.
Enrique Perez also had a good performance. He played on the right, recovered three balls and completed 19 of the 21 passes he sent.
Julio Cesar Dominguez took over the toughest position of the backbone, right in the center of the box.
The Cruz Azul footballer returned to El Tri after a five-year hiatus. He worked closely with Alfredo Rios, becoming a good link with the midfield.
He completed 43 passes and only missed three, for a 93 percent success rate.
The Team Found the Final Touch
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The last time Mexico scored more than one goal was in the 2014 World Cup, when they defeated Croatia 3-1 in the last match of the group stage.
Later they faced Netherlands, but they lost 2-1. The games held in September were tough too. El Tri left California after a scoreless draw with Chile and Colorado with a 1-0 victory over Bolivia.
Herrera has been trying different footballers in the attacking zone, and despite creating goal opportunities, the players couldn't put the ball away.
When they faced La Roja, they made 14 shots and 23 crosses, according to MLSsoccer.com.
In the following friendly, Mexico completed 86 percent of the passes they sent; they also made 18 shots, four of them on target and four blocked, per MLSsoccer.com.
Against Honduras the team came out with a different mentality. They pushed from the beginning and eventually scored twice (Hernandez and Alanis).
The second half was very different, as the coaches made numerous substitutions that eventually hurt the game's rhythm.
Overall, El Tri looked a lot better in the attack than in the past two games.
The Centre Midfield Is Taken Care of
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Jose Juan Vazquez was an instrumental piece in Herrera's 5-3-2 formation during the 2014 World Cup. However, the manager decided to leave him out of this month's list.
Vazquez is still atop with Leon, despite the club's inconsistent season (they sit 13th in the general table with a 4-0-8 record), but the decision had to do with the fact that so far he didn't have a sub for El Gallito.
He was an undisputed starter in Brazil 2014, but when he missed the round of 16, El Tri struggled in the midfield, despite Carlos Salcido's experience.
Herrera's formation puts a lot of pressure in the center of the pitch, so he has to have a second option in case Vazquez picks up an injury or can't play for any other reason.
El Piojo went with Antonio Rios, a 25-year-old who plays for Toluca, and who had already been in charge of this key role (vs. Bolivia).
He still needs to work on keeping the ball a bit longer and not compromising his team with unnecessary risks, but overall, he was sharp against Honduras.
When Rios left the pitch, Herrera sent in Javier Guemez. The Tijuana footballer shines when he plays as a defensive midfielder, which allows him to help the back line if the team needs it.
This is good news because there won't be a huge dependence on Vazquez anymore.
There's Continuity for the Players
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Herrera has less than four years to put together a strong team, with experienced players and young blood.
Every new process brings fierce competition, which in many cases means that those who will make the cut and secure the starting position will be those who play regularly with their clubs.
However, Herrera knows that he needs to boost the footballers' confidence first, utilizing those players who have proven to have what it takes to represent Mexico and who have also understood how his strategy should be executed.
One of the clearest examples of this is Guillermo Ochoa. The Malaga goalkeeper has stayed on the bench ever since the 2014/15 La Liga season started.
But El Piojo knows that Ochoa is a hard worker, who saved Mexico from losing to Brazil and whose leadership is important in keeping the back line structured.
Javier Hernandez is also a good example. During his time in Europe, Chicharito has never been an undisputed starter, but he usually delivers good performances and, most importantly, goals.
Yes, we will see youngsters and debutantes, but it is very important that Herrera keeps a base of players, which can guide the newcomers, in order to make the transition as smooth as possible.
All stats appear courtesy of Mi Seleccion GameCast (Spanish), unless otherwise noted.
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