The 5 things Mexico clings to in hopes of World Cup glory
Bosnia beat Mexico in a pre-World Cup friendly and Miguel Herrera was furious. He had reason to be, because the squad from the Balkans actually…
Bosnia beat Mexico in a pre-World Cup friendly and Miguel Herrera was furious. He had reason to be, because the squad from the Balkans actually announced one lineup, then played with a much more competitive team, and it majorly threw Herreras plans off.
Still, there is no reason to be alarmed, so we wanted to analyze the things Mexico is clinging onto in order to keep their World Cup dreams alive:
1. This game means nothing
Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Emir Spahic, left, races for the ball with Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera during the second half of an international friendly soccer match at Soldier Field in Chicago, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Bosnia-Herzegovina won 1-0. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Herrera was very experimental with his lineup, and as he mentioned after the game, part of it was due to the fact that he knew Bosnia was also going to be testing out a few non-traditionally starting players.
Everything changed when the game started and Bosnia had most of its starters on the pitch. Mexico took some time to catch on, and it wasnt towards the end, when most of the subs came in, that el Tri was able to show its best version.
Because of that, this friendly should not be taken into account in order to evaluate the true potential of Mexico.
2. Gio Dos Santos to lead the team upfront
Gio has been looking for a chance to show that he is capable of leading el Tri to its peak performance. The World Cup is just the place to do it, and after a great year in Villarreal, Dos Santos wants this month in Brazil to become his springboard back into international notoriety.
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The Mexican forward suffered a lot after leaving Barcelona, and the lack of stability did not mesh well with his career. At the Yellow Submarine he is revered as the top star of the team, and that has grounded him once again and prompted him to display his best soccer in years.
3. A full line of firepower upfront
Mexico’s Giovani dos Santos (10) celebrates after scoring a goal against Ecuador in the second half of a friendly soccer match Saturday, May 31, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. Mexico won 3-1. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Mexico has no shortage of top-notch attackers and even without Carlos Vela in their list, to have Oribe Peralta, Gio Dos Santos, Marco Fabian, Raul Jimenez and Chicharito Hernandez is a perk not many national teams competing in Brazil will share.
Theres still no saying who will get the starting nod, but whomever Herrera chooses will give Mexico a tremendous scoring edge.
4. Rafa Marquez to set a solid midfield
The former Barcelona footballer is playing his fifth World Cup, and he is the true and tested captain figure that Herrera was looking for in order to put some order in this team. After a volcanic qualification round, nothing is better for the team and its fans than to know that Rafa Marquez has the reins of the group.
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He is still in recovery mode, but if he can find his best form before the start of the World Cup, Marquez will be one of the pillars of Herreras dreams of glory.
5. Its loyal fans
Mexico fans wave their national flag before Mexico’s international friendly soccer match against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Soldier Field in Chicago, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Mexico is known to have one of the best, most loyal and cheerful fan bases in the world, and in every World Cup they become one of the main attractions in and out of the stadiums.
In Brazil, they will compete with the Canarinhas loyals, also known to bring their most playful attitudes to each game, but for sure the players on the pitch will feel the push from the thousands of fans who will follow the team around in their World Cup adventure.
