10 Key Talking Points for Mexico Following March International Friendlies
Mexico ended the FIFA date with two victories in their international friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay.
Different from El Tri, their rivals are starting a process in which they have new players and new coaches. So it was obvious that they wouldn’t come at their best.
Ecuador took advantage of their speed and strength to put Mexico in distress, while Paraguay played a very physical 90 minutes, which resulted in several bookings.
Overall, the results were good, and Miguel Herrera surely has a clearer idea of which footballers should play in this summer’s tournaments (Copa America and Gold Cup).
Javier Hernandez Continues to Deliver with El Tri
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Javier Hernandez has had a tough time with Real Madrid. The striker has barely appeared with Los Blancos and has already confessed to Fox Sports that he’s frustrated about it, per the Press Association (via The Guardian).
Despite it all, Hernandez managed to score Mexico’s winner against Ecuador, proving he still has what it takes to wear La Verde and play 90 minutes.
The most redeemable part about Chicharito's goal was the way he scored it—from outside the box and perfectly placed, which proves he’s been working in his technique.
Jonathan dos Santos: Gold Cup or Copa America?
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We cannot talk about Mexico's performance against Paraguay without mentioning Jonathan dos Santos.
The Villarreal footballer showed his class and fine touch are essential to provide depth and create goal opportunities.
Dos Santos will make one of the two Mexico squads, but which? Probably the Copa America one, since Hector Herrera has locked the starting position through the right flank since Miguel Herrera's arrival.
Since El Tri have the obligation to win the Gold Cup, El Piojo will probably take basically the same squad he took to the World Cup.
Dos Santos will be a nice addition to the Copa America squad—not only because he has the skills, but also because he has the experience of playing in first-class competitions, which many Liga MX players don't have.
Eduardo Herrera Is a Good Option for the Attacking Zone
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What Mexico have in goalkeepers, they lack in strikers. El Tri have at least five good goalie options, but when it comes to scorers, there’s not much to look at.
Eduardo Herrera’s winner against Paraguay was a blessing for El Piojo. If the Pumas footballer keeps things going, he will make the Copa America team, on which we won’t see Javier Hernandez or Carlos Vela.
If Herrera makes the starting XI, he will probably go with Raul Jimenez; they seemed to understand each other despite not playing together before.
Miguel Herrera Needs to Stop Experimenting
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Miguel Herrera must figure out quickly which players will go to the Copa America and which will go to the Gold Cup.
There are very few friendlies before both tournaments start, and the players need to adjust quickly to Herrera’s style of play, especially before going to the CONMEBOL competition.
Arriving in Chile as prepared as possible is key if El Piojo wants to keep his word of making the final showdown.
Jesus Corona Has What It Takes to Dethrone Guillermo Ochoa
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Jesus Corona was one of the top players in the Ecuador friendly. The Cruz Azul goalkeeper returned to El Tri for the first time since the 2014 World Cup, where he stayed on the bench.
Corona stopped a penalty kick, which would have been Ecuador’s equaliser.
He was instrumental in keeping his goal unbeaten, as the defence was clearly having trouble holding off the rivals.
Jose Juan Vazquez Needs to Step Up
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The central midfielder is instrumental in Miguel Herrera’s formation. Jose Juan Vazquez proved to be the man for the job during last summer’s World Cup, but against Ecuador he didn't meet the expectations.
El Gallito only recovered one ball, didn't create clear goal opportunities and failed to help the defenders, all of which he usually does.
It might just have been bad night for the Leon footballer, but unfortunately for him, he cannot afford to lose his touch.
The Defense Needs a Lot of Work
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This is by far Mexico’s worst line. The national team looked really bad in the back. Not even Hector Moreno’s experience could help El Tri against Ecuador.
The speed of the South Americans was enough to surpass the centre-backs. If they had been a bit more accurate, Jesus Corona would have had an even busier night.
It’s obvious that Rafael Marquez needs to appear with Mexico while Miguel Herrera decides what to do.
Raul Jimenez Is Eager to Make a Difference
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The Atletico Madrid striker may not be playing with his club, but he certainly showed that he has a lot to give.
He sent a ball to the crossbar after a powerful header, which made it evident that he hasn’t lost his strong aerial game, something he took advantage of regularly while playing for America.
In the Paraguay friendly, Jimenez made four shots on target, two from outside the box and one more at close range.
The European-Based Players Are Too Comfortable
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Some of the European-based footballers didn’t perform at their best level—perhaps they haven’t played as much, or they have played too much. Maybe they just feel they have secured their spot in the Gold Cup squad.
Hector Herrera wasn’t as sharp as he used to be. Miguel Layun lacked speed, which hurt Mexico in the attack (he didn’t provide as much depth as usual) and in the defence (he couldn’t return quickly to the back line).
Hector Moreno is still a bit rusty after missing half of the season due to injury.
These footballers need competition to start making a real impact on the pitch.
Mexico Showed More Hunger vs. Paraguay
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The main reason why this happened is that the Liga MX footballers and some of the youngsters in Europe, such as Diego Reyes, Jonathan dos Santos and Raul Jimenez, know that they don’t have their place secured.
They played with hunger, with their heart. And although they missed some good opportunities and lost the ball repeatedly, it was clear they are willing to give it their all.
Miguel Herrera needs to take that into consideration. Reyes and Dos Santos were superb against Paraguay; the first commanded the defense in style while the second pushed hard to create goal opportunities.
All stats appear courtesy of Mi Seleccion Gamecast (in Spanish).
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