El Tri, the new year
MEXICO CITY -- It’s difficult to predict what type of year El Tri will have. There’s no guarantee that the year will be brilliant because unpredictability is part of Mexican football’s essence. It is this unpredictability that makes Liga MX so addictive, but it’s also this same unpredictability that sometimes hits you hard, like a train smashing into a car passing by.
El Tri will get over last summer’s result in Santa Clara, the country’s fervent football fan base is working on it, but the memory still persists. Since Juan Carlos Osorio took over Mexico’s coaching job in 2015, Chile has been one of the toughest opponents El Tri has played against, and it took a hard loss.
But a jolt of hope came at the best possible time, at Columbus, of all places. Mexico’s first ever win in Columbus was exactly what Osorio and his coaching staff needed in order to continue their pursuit of taking El Tri to the 2018 World Cup. If that happens, it will put Osorio on the world stage, but before that takes place, he will get a taste of it this summer when Mexico participates in the Confecup.
The dilemma, though, is that Mexico not only has to worry about the Confecup this summer, it also has to think responsibly about the Gold Cup.
It’s not easy to manage many responsibilities, especially when several of them are unnecessary extras. To maintain focus and execute the gameplan will not be easy for Osorio, that’s why he’s obsessed about tallying as many possible points in the next four qualifying games. Having hiccups in these next four games could provoke an unwanted tempest, but one of which wouldn’t be surprising for a national team, who not long ago was questioning the advantages of calling Estadio Azteca its home.
And this questioning on whether Azteca is the place to play El Tri’s home games or not is still alive because, in reality, since last Hexagonal’s nightmares, Mexico hasn’t hosted a team of the caliber of Costa Rica. New Zealand, Canada, El Salvador, or a young Honduran national team can’t compare with the national team that best represented CONCACAF in the last World Cup.
El Tri has to find comfort; it has to come from somewhere, and it somewhat showed in Columbus, when Jesus “Tecatito” Corona and Carlos Vela dazzled in Mexico’s attack. Their performances assured of a Mexico victory; they created an unstoppable force that was impossible to stop, but the second half started and ended in red-alert. A miraculous Rafa Marquez header prevented a 1-1 draw.
The consolidation of Osorio’s idea should reach an important peak this year, however, important players like Miguel Layun, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Hector Herrera have had erratic seasons, while Raul Jimenez is craving for playing time. A key part of Osorio’s XI is not going through its finest moment, and let’s not forget, Guillermo Ochoa’s season at Granada has been a constant battle in blocking shot after shot. Granada has conceded 54 goals, but Ochoa’s saves have prevented the Andalusian club from having bigger numbers.
Also, when Alfredo Talavera receives the nod on goal, it’s common to see him nervous. At times, he looks like Mexico’s weakest link. It’s something to consider as the year rolls along.
Osorio’s Mexico is desperate on giving a well-rounded performance, one that could leave a good memory. A superb 90-minute performance against Costa Rica will be a great achievement in a year that will be busy, in a year where decisions should start making sense, not confuse.
Who knows what legacy Osorio will leave behind when he steps down as Mexico’s coach, but there’s no doubt that this year could be his most significant year because let’s not forget how that 2005 Confecup helped Ricardo La Volpe assemble his 2006 national team. After 2006, qualifying to the World Cup has felt like climbing the Everest, will it be any different this year? Does Osorio have everything sorted out?
Let’s see.
