All Things Mexico

After a one-year hiatus, Giovani Dos Santos is finally back in the fold for the Mexican National Team. 

El Tri's Colombian manager, Juan Carlos Osorio, called up Dos Santos for the first time since the 2015 Gold Cup, teaning the upcoming friendlies against New Zealand and Panama will be the first chance we get to see the LA Galaxy forward playing under Osorio. 

In terms of performance, Dos Santos’s call-up is no surprise, as he’s having a fantastic season in LA. So far he has scored 14 goals and dished out four assists this season in 26 MLS games.

Chicharito scored a hat-trick this weekend in the Bundesliga, so we were on the edge of our seats with regards to what he might do in the Champions League.

He delivered with a goal.

Make it 4 goals in 4 days for @CH14_, and since he moved to Europe! https://t.co/uISlpAcf1k

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 27, 2016

Ronaldinho is coming back, at least for one more game. The Brazilian attacking midfielder hasn't retired fro soccer yet, and he says he wants to play one more year. He claims to have offers in MLS and China, but before he goes to either of those places 'Dinho is going to make an appearance for Mexican third-division club Cinco Estrellas in a friendly against Monterrey in December.

He announced his apearance in a video on the Cinco Estrellas facebook page.

Atletico Madrid beat PSV 1-0 in their Champions League group stage opener, but PSV had a chance to draw level in stoppage time of the first half when Luciano Narsingh drew a penalty. Andres Guardado stepped up to take it for PSV.

And he had it saved.

Andre's Guardado usually scores his penalties. Not today

https://t.co/OJNV5IpIMS

A few weeks ago, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez broke his hand falling down the stairs at his house. This is, admittedly, not the least-embarrassing way to hurt yourself. Hernandez was back in action Saturday for Bayer Leverkusen against Hamburg. 

Finnish striker Joel Pohjanpalo stole the show with a hat trick for Leverkusen, but Chicharito played well in his return, going the full 90 and assisting Pohjanpalo's third goal.

(Chicharito's assist starts at 1:55)

Giovani dos Santos’ year-long exclusion from the Mexican national team is all the more baffling when you consider his form of late. Perhaps Juan Carlos Osorio simply preferred giving youth a chance for El Tri’s meaningless qualifiers against Honduras and El Salvador. Or, he might still be salty over dos Santos’ decision to reject a call-up for the Copa America Centenario.

Mexico ended the group stage of World Cup qualifying undeafeated but disappointed after a listless 0-0 outing against Hondiras in Estadio Azteca.

Honduras did the thing pretty much everybody expected them to do and parked the bus basically from the beginning. Even firing on all cylinders, Mexico might have had trouble beating this defense.

As it turned out, though, Mexico weren't firing on all cylinders, and the crowd let manager Juan Carlos Osorio know they didn't like what they were seeing.

Let's be honest, El Tri failed to meet extremely high expectations this summer. What was expected of the Mexican national team was to excel in all competitions, but they fell flat at the Copa America Centenario and the Rio Olympic Games.

Competing in the Copa America in the team’s ‘second home’, the United States, fans and spectators alike believed El Tri had a chance to make history in the competition. 

They were one of the early favorites. With a win over Uruguay and the top dogs, Brazil, crashing out early, they had a chance but blew it. 

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.