Let there be no doubt about it, Mexico’s 3-1 win over Uruguay to open up their Copa America campaign showed Mexico has what it takes to win the competition. The team impressed all around, but there are 6 players we believe will be the most integral to the team’s success.
Mexico's 3-1 victory over Uruguay Sunday can objectively be called a triumph, and leaves Mexico in full control of their destiny in regards to reaching the Copa America Centenario group stage. The game was not an unequivocal triumph, however, as El Tri lost their sometimes-captain and some would argue best player, Andres Guardado, to a red card.
Guardado will be suspended for Thursday's clash against Jamaica, which raises the question: what are Mexico to do in El Principito's absence?
Mexico and Uruguay were tied 1-1 in a hard-fought Copa America group stage game Wednesday when 37-year-old Mexico captain Rafa Marquez put his stamp on the match and removed all doubt as to the merits of putting an old creaky person in the starting lineup of a major international match.
Marquez, who once partnered Carles Puyol on Barcelona's back line, was upfield for a Mexico corner when he received a pass near the corner of the six-yard box and hammered the winning goal into the net. This is not the sort of behavior we expected from Marquez.
It was Rafa Marquez.
It was the 37-year-old patriarch of the Mexican national team who scored the game-winning goal in a thrilling four goal, two red card clash.
It was the heart and soul, the leader of the Mexican national team that sent Mexico to the top of Group C.
You can hear what all that means to Mexico fans:
Most didn’t want him there. A good deal still doesn’t agree with his work ethic. And yet, Mexican fans should be more than happy to have a manager like Juan Carlos Osorio at the helm of their national team.
Osorio brings something many American (North, South, and Central) squads aren’t used to seeing from their national team managers: the blunt truth.
The Colombian manager recently commented, saying he dreams of coaching Colombia’s national team.
Javier Hernandez celebrated his birthday in fine style on Wednesday, netting the winning goal for Mexico against Chile in their final warm-up game before the Copa America Centenario.
With the scores level at 0-0, Hernandez, who turned 28 on the day, entered the match in the 78th minute. It took him all of eight minutes to snatch the victory for El Tri, his powerful header giving Chile’s goalkeeper, Cristopher Toselli, absolutely no chance.
Miguel Herrera's tenure at Club Tijuana has not gone to plan so far, but as usual "El Piojo" has found a way to capture our attention.
Club Tijuana finished 14th in the 2016 Clausura, and that, evidently, was not good enough for management. You hear of clubs needing offseason "overhauls" but we've never seen it taken quite this far: Tijuana have transfer-listed every single player on the roster.
Here's the full release on Club Tijuana's website:
Mexico international Hector Herrera could be on his way to Napoli, if reports from Calciomercato are to be believed. The midfielder, who currently plays for Porto in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, has reportedly agreed to personal terms with the Vesuviani and the deal currently hinges on whether the two clubs can reach an agreement on price.
Could Andres Guardado and Carlos Vela be headed to Atlanta United in the near future? It's possible, according to ESPN.
SB Nation's Atlanta United Blog, Dirty South Soccer, reported that John Sutcliffe, ESPN's Mexico National Team insider, had said that ATL United is interested in the two Mexico standouts (ESPN has evidently removed the video).
Pachuca are the 2016 Clausura champs, having defeated Monterrey 2-1 on aggregate over the final's two legs. Los Tuzos won the home leg, 1-0, but they needed a little magic at the end of the second leg to claim the trophy.
Sunday's second leg in Monterrey got really interesting when Dorlan Pabon scored a golazo in the 39th minute to give Monterrey a 1-0 lead in the match and even the score on aggregate.