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.
6 Players That Will Lead Mexico To Victory At The Copa America
Hirving Lozano
20-year-old Hirving Lozano has a chance to be Mexico’s breakout player of the tournament. Against Uruguay, Lozano filled the void left by Jesus Corona after Corona’s substitution, and did so brilliantly.
Granted, he probably had the advantage of being an unknown quantity, so Uruguay didn’t make him a big part of their tactical plan, but Lozano still came in and wreaked havoc all along Uruguay’s right side. He repeatedly got around the edge, and he played a huge roll in Mexico’s game-killing 3rd goal.
Lozano currently plays for Pachucha, where officials say some of the best clubs in the world (like Manchester United) are inquiring about him.
Miguel Layun
In terms of where players rank in the world with respect to their individual positions, Miguel Layun is the best player Mexico has. He is a star wing-back with pace and playmaking ability. He had an absurd 15 assists in 27 league games for FC Porto last season, a season in which he established himself as a top 5 wing-back in the world. David Alaba, Dani Alves, Marcelo, Layun’s season showed he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as them.
Layun is incredibly important to Mexico, for whom he is asked to defend as well as create opportunities for others. There are those on Mexico more skilled than him with the ball at their feet, but no one (OK, maybe Andres Guardado) can cross like Layun.
Look at this ridiculous first time ball he sent Chicharito’s way to create the game winning goal against Chile:
Layun’s a bad man.
Hector Herrera
Photo: @rockyboboss | Twitter
Hector Herrera was incredibly important to FC Porto this past season. Lining up as either a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder, he racked up 9 goals and 4 assists in 29 games, which is an impressive haul for someone most known as a box-to-box midfielder.
Herrera plays with a confidence similar to Arturo Vidal’s: he knows that he can be effective pretty much everywhere go goes on the pitch - tackling, passing, shooting — and he lets that knowledge create a swagger in himself.
Andres Guardado
Photo: @LaSeleccionMex | Twitter
It’s safe to say that PSV Eindhoven is enamored with Andres Guardado, and for good reason. The midfielder has become a leader on the pitch for both PSV and Mexico, and it will be interesting to see what Mexico will do without him when they face Jamaica.
Guardado has an excellent range of passing, and is an incredible athlete. At the Gold Cup last summer he scored every single important goal Mexico scored, solidifying his reputation as a big game player.
He and Hector Herrera form a central midfield that is arguably the most well rounded in the Copa America.
Javier Chicharito Hernandez
Javier Hernandez lit up the Bundesliga to the tune of 17 goals in 28 league matches with Bayer Leverkusen, including a white hot scoring run of 12 goals in 10 games back in the fall.
Javier didn’t hit those heights in the victory against Uruguay, but no one should dare count him out. He is the most lethal finisher Mexico has had in years, and is a massive part of their attack.
Jesus “Tecatito” Corona
Photo: @MrDeporteNews | Twitter
Corona had an average game against Uruguay to open his Copa America campaign, some flashes of flair but not much else. Too often he was caught taking on two or even three defenders and failing; he is a very capable dribbler, but such audaciousness with the ball at his feet is going to make it hard for any attacker to effect a game.
That being said Corona is still one of the most talented attackers that Mexico has. You wouldn’t want to put your money on many others to get past a defender one on one, and in my book, he is the most likely to score Mexico’s goal of the tournament.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Corona gets the start against Jamaica in Mexico’s next game on Thursday. I hope he does, I think Jamaica could be exactly the kind of overmatched opponent attackers love to get their grove back against.
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