2010 World Cup Team Preview: Mexico

Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I will be doing analysis of each team by group. Today, Group A's Mexico.

History

An established regional superpower rivaled only by the United States, Mexico enters its fifth consecutive World Cup with renewed high hopes. In its previous four World Cup excursions, Mexico advanced to the second round each time but were eliminated.

Mexico are eight-time and current CONCACAF Gold Cup champions. They also won a FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999. The Mexican team is currently ranked No. 17th in the world. They have a long, storied soccer tradition and have the nickname "El Tri."

 

Recent Play

Mexico qualified by finishing a healthy second, one point behind the U.S., in CONCACAF qualifying. They were undefeated at home but inconsistent on the road. For example, they won impressively in Costa Rica 3-0 but fell in Honduras 1-3

In the Gold Cup, Mexico advanced rather easily through the group stage and defeated Haiti 4-0 in the second round. In the semifinal, they drew with a tough Costa Rican team but advanced on penalties. In a memorable final, Mexico crushed the host United States 5-0. Though the United States did not field their best players, it was still an impressive victory.

 

Key Players

Giovani dos Santos, AMF/Forward, Galatasaray (TUR): dos Santos is an intriguing player that has been hyped for years, and his first World Cup may be the time he finally breaks out as a legitimate star. Reared in Barcelona's youth division, he played for the senior team at the tender age of 18.

However, his coming-of-age moment was last year's Gold Cup, in which he scored once and assisted twice in the final and was named the tournament's MVP. It remains to be seen, however, if his inexperience will be a liability.

Andres Guardado, Winger, Deportivo de La Coruña (SPA):  A quick-paced and agile player, Guardado is another emerging star for the Mexican team. Guardado can be a tough task for opposing defenses as he is a good dribbler and a fairly accurate passer who can also score on his own. He figures to be a headache for opposing defenses with his quick play on the wing.

Rafael Márquez, Defender, Barcelona (SPA):  While the previous two provide youthful exuberance to the team, Márquez is a veteran, nearing international retirement. He has played in two World Cups for Mexico and played several important European championships with Barcelona. He is a versatile, talented defender who finished 25th in voting for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

 

Playing Style

Mexico are coached by Javier Aguirre, who has been a calming presence for the team. Mexico can attack from the wings and from set pieces and can be quite dangerous offensively. The 5-3-2 formation has some tradition in Mexico and Aguirre has been willing to use this formation as it accentuates the wing play.

Group Matches

The first eight seeds in the World Cup consist of the top seven ranked teams and the host nation. Mexico got lucky because they drew the host nation, South Africa, as the group's No. 1 seed. Instead of having to play a top-ranked team, Mexico is playing the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament.

On the other hand, Mexico drew the highest No. 2 seed—France. France likely will be the toughest competition in the group stage. Uruguay can also sometimes be scary as they are talented, and a motivated South African team could also spell trouble.

Expectations

Mexico has gone on to the second round in the past four tournaments, so anything less will be considered a failure for El Tri. However, there is a growing dissatisfaction for qualifying second in the group stage and bowing out in the second round. To truly be happy with themselves, Mexico will need to advance further.

Mexico's path may be complicated by teams in the group stage as well as a possible meeting with Argentina in the second round. If the Mexicans are not in top form, they may leave the tournament in disappointment. On the other hand, they are considered a "dark horse" candidate to win it all.