Juan Carlos Osorio Quits Sao Paulo to Coach Mexico: Latest Details and Reaction

Less than five months after taking the job, Juan Carlos Osorio has left Sao Paulo, and the 53-year-old will succeed Miguel Herrera as the permanent Mexico national team coach, per ESPN FC.

Despite Osorio's relative inexperience in either national team or Mexican football, his hiring doesn't come as a major surprise. In late September, he admitted coaching Mexico would help him fulfill one of his career goals.

"I believe that we all try to become the best prepared possible for when an opportunity arrives," Osorio said, per ESPN FC's Tom Marshall. "Mexico is an elite national team, that could go to the World Cup. And I want to go to a World Cup. For any manager, to go to a World Cup, is attractive. The highest point in a sporting career, for a manager."

Osorio had a brief spell at Puebla in Liga MX, which began in November 2011 and ended in March 2012. As football journalist Juan Arango posited, Osorio is a relative unknown for followers of the Mexico national team:

American soccer fans will remember Osorio from his time with the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. MLSSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle views his joining El Tri as good news for the United States national team:

Obviously given the timing, Osorio won't coach Mexico in the CONCACAF Confederations Cup playoff against the U.S. this Saturday. Ricardo Ferretti will lead the squad for the match before making way for Osorio.

Osorio's most important task will be navigating Mexico through the fourth round of 2018 World Cup qualifying and then helping them advance past the "Hex," the stage at which the country nearly bowed out ahead of the 2014 World Cup.   

Anything less than qualification for 2018 will constitute a failure for Osorio and likely lead to his firing. And in the event Mexico begin the fourth round a bit slowly, don't be surprised if he is already on the hot seat.