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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.
Essentially, these two matches serve as the first litmus test for Mexico’s strength of recovery. Was the loss to Chile an aberration, a necessary growing pain in the tenure of Osorio? Or was it a symptom of a greater disease afflicting El Tri?
ESPN FC recently reached out to former legends of the Mexico selection to get their take on the current setup. Among those who lent their opinions included Jared Borgetti, Claudio Suarez, Gerardo Torrado and Pavel Pardo.
They were honest in their feedback, sometimes brutally so. When asked about the progress Mexico is making, Suarez said: “I believe Mexican football at national team level has stagnated…It is difficult for Mexico to achieve what it wants and transcend to that ‘quinto partido’ (World Cup quarterfinal) or other big things.”
When asked about Osorio’s ability to lead Mexico, Borgetti revealed that he’s behind the manager, but “he was wrong [against Chile] and he has to correct errors, just like the players. Not everything is the coach’s fault, it is also that of the players.”
Pardo also spoke of the mentality of Mexico’s current players, saying: “I think that the step forward Mexico lacks is in the mental aspect…Many times you will fall down and you’ll then get up until you’ve achieved it. But I do think that for Mexico the last step forward [is the mental side].”
It’s difficult to imagine a set of more important dead rubber matches than the two that Mexico face.
Osorio has elected to take a look at a young forward line, necessitated by the injury to Javier Hernandez, with Angel Zaldivar, Angel Sepulveda and Martin Barragan possibly receiving their first caps for Mexico.
(H/T: ESPN FC)
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