Mexico National Team

Mexico enter their final two games of the fourth round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying assured of their place in the fifth and final round, the ‘Hex’. However, their matches against El Salvador and Honduras will not be taken lightly by Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio, for whom they present something of a poisoned chalice. 

Two victories are expected, but any slip-up against the sides ranked 137th and 84th in the world would only magnify the hurt of Mexico’s last competitive match — that 7-0 defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals.

Mexico's gole medal defense is finished after a 1-0 loss to South Korea eliminated El Tri. Mexico needed to either win outright or tie and have Germany beat Fiji by less than four goals.

Instead, this happened:

South Korea holds on against Mexico they will go through and win their division. Lead 1-0. pic.twitter.com/ABGQlfG30K

— Mo Tafolla (@MoTafolla) August 10, 2016

Chicharito Hernandez had a monster season last year, and he's having a monster pre-season to follow that. The Little Pea has two goals so far, including one Wednesday in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-1 friendly win against German fourth-division side Kickers Offenbach.

It was just a dink, but dinks count just the same as golazos, something that, as a poacher, Chicharito has seemingly staked his career on.

Mexico beat Fiji 5-1 Sunday in the Olympics, but it wasn't all good for El Tri. Striker Oribe Peralta and midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro have been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Peralta, who scored Mexico's first goal in the opener against Germany, suffered a broken nose and Pizarro, who scored the other goal in the opener against Germany, has a fractured fibula.

Alfredo Talavera owes Erick Gutierrez a debt of gratitude. Talavera made the mistake that allowed Fiji to go 1-0 up on Mexico Sunday, and for a while it looked like Fiji might pull out the Olympic upset to end all Olympic upsets.

Mexico and Germany got the Olympics off to a hot start with a 2-2 draw that made for a game that was both well-played and exciting.

One of Mexico's over-23 players, Oribe Peralta, opened the scoring.

Oribe Peralta's goal https://t.co/XgpaPsgRrq

— The18 (@the18soccer) August 4, 2016

Mexico’s task in front of 80,000 plus supporters at the Rose Bowl had been clearly defined following Uruguay’s shock 1-0 defeat to Venezuela earlier in the day. Win and they advanced to the Copa America quarter-finals. Thanks to a powerful header from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and a neat finish from Oribe Peralta, Mexico have guaranteed their place in the Copa's knockout rounds.   

Mexico have selected Guillermo Ochoa, Jesus Corona and Alfredo Talavera as their goalkeepers for the 2016 Copa America, a reliable group that has amassed 135 international appearances between them. Such is the strength of the position for Mexico that the highly underrated Jonathan Orozco was unable to make the squad.

However, the most promising and talented goalkeeper for El Tri might be the one lining up across from Orozco in the Liga MX Clausura semi-finals, Hugo Gonzalez.

The 23 players who will represent the Mexico National Team at the Copa America Centenario have been announced, and there were more than a few controversies. Here's the final roster (barring injury):

Mexico National Team 23-Man Copa America Roster

Goalkeepers:

—Memo Ochoa (Malaga)

—Jose Corona (Cruz Azul)

—Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)

Defenders

—Rafa Marquez (Atlas)

—Diego Reyes (Real Sociedad)

—Hector Moreno (PSV Eindhoven)

—Paul Aguilar (Club America)

—Miguel Layun (Porto)