For Mexico, how things have played out in the past week of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship has been nothing short of a disaster.
Storms clouds seemed to loom for the team right from the start in its opening Group A match against the U.S. No one really expected the Mexicans to beat the Americans, but they were certainly supposed to give them a game. They couldn’t do that.
After failing to make the grade at Atletico Madrid four years ago and following that up with three years of diminishing returns with Benfica — culminating in a return of only eight goals in 43 appearances last season — Raúl Jiménez’s loan move to Wolverhampton back in June had all the stink of today’s bewildering transfer market.
It appeared to be nothing more than super agent Jorge Mendes using his clout to wheel and deal the 27-year-old in a way that lined his own pockets while allowing Benfica to finally cut financial ties with the $11 million flop.
Liga MX in Mexico and Major League Soccer in the U.S. and Canada are the two preeminent soccer leagues in North America. They might be joining together in a Liga MX MLS super-league of sorts by 2026.
Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla said it’s a possibility after the countries worked together to win hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup.
The USMNT’s first competitive match after more than 600 days will be played in Minnesota on June 18. The 2019 Gold Cup schedule, venues and dates were announced Tuesday and the U.S. is going to be setting up in the Midwest for the 15th edition of Concacaf’s championship tournament.
Since losing to Trinidad and Tobago to be knocked out of the 2018 World Cup one year ago Wednesday, the USMNT has played some meaningless friendlies with a bunch of young kids and an interim coach.
As was detailed in a recent piece by Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times, Mexico’s senior side is in the midst of a massive transition after the 2018 World Cup squad featured nine players who were at least 30 years of age.
Right now, it doesn’t even seem fair.
PSV Eindhoven is absolutely eviscerating the Dutch Eredivisie this season and a pair of Mexico internationals is a major reason why, combining for three goals in a 4-0 win over VVV Venlo on Saturday.
The Boeren are pulling away atop the Eredivisie table with eight wins from eight. More impressively, they’ve done it while scoring 30 goals (3.75 per game) and conceding three.
Nearly a third of PSV’s goals this season has come from two players from one country: Mexico’s Chucky Lozano and Érick Gutiérrez.
Efrain Alvarez is no stranger to this space. Earlier this year we called him the most exciting MLS prospect ever. The 16-year-old Los Angeles native has scored some absolute worldies playing for LA Galaxy II in the USL. Alvarez is now scoring golazos for the Mexico U-17 team.
The U.S. women’s national team opened World Cup qualifying with a goal in the second minute against Mexico. The USWNT absolutely dominated the rest of the half without finding another goal.
The second half, though, was another story.
PSV Eindhoven’s hopes of making it through to the Champions League Round of 16 took a massive blow Wednesday after Pablo Rosario’s smashing opener (assisted by Hirving “Chucky” Lozano) was canceled out by a whistling, 18-yard Radja Nainggolan half-volley and ultimately made meaningless by Mauro Icardi’s comedic winner in the 60th minute.
Querétaro survived a late comeback attempt from Dorados de Sinaloa to advance 2-1 in the Copa MX Round of 16 on Wednesday at La Corregidora. But Los Albiazules players may have been more excited about meeting the Dorados coach than the win itself.
Who could blame them? The club is coached by Diego Maradona, who once won the World Cup in Mexico. After the match, Querétaro players invaded the Dorados team bus in search of photos with the Argentine legend.