World Cup 2014: Mexico confident despite qualifying woes

Dubai: With many of Mexico’s big names left warming the bench at their European clubs this season, coach Miguel Herrera opted for more match-fit Mexican-based talent to salvage their woeful qualifying campaign – it worked.

Herrera joined before the 9-3 aggregate play-off win over New Zealand, and in those two matches he relied heavily on players and a 5-3-2/3-5-2 wingback system that had helped him win the league with Mexican club America last season.

Now he has the unenviable task, and pressure, of re-integrating rusty overseas stars like; Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez, Vallareal’s Giovani Dos Santos and Real Sociedad’s Carlos Vela into the squad.

In that play-off victory the central midfield trio of Carlos Pena, Carlos Medina and Luis Montes worked well with wing-backs Miguel Layun and Paul Aguilar working the flanks.

But quite how these relatively inexperienced internationals will step up to the global stage is uncertain, almost as uncertain as the ability of experienced newcomers to fit into the new system.

Herrera’s Mexico will look to keep possession and attack with quick, direct passing up from the back. But with wing-backs so integral to that plan it remains to be seen what will happen if their width is disabled, preventing the supply forward.

Also, there are concerns on the counter-attack should Layun and Aguilar leave their back three of Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Marquez and Juan Carlos Valenzuela exposed. Marquez and Rodriguez are aging and slow while Valenzuela is inexperienced.

Given these concerns and the lack of time Herrera has had with the squad, Mexico are an unknown entity. The target is to equal their record best quarter-final finish only twice achieved in 1970 and 1986 in World Cups played on home soil. With that - and the above - in mind, a Round of 16 finish might be more realistic.

Mexico

Group A
Fifa ranking: 19 

Top man

Oribe Peralta
Date of birth: January 12, 1984 (age 30)
Place of birth: Torreon, Coahulla
Height: 1.79m
Weight: 71kg
Playing position: Striker
International caps: 30. Goals: 16
Club: Santos Laguna 

Coach

Miguel Herrera
Date of birth: March 18, 1968 (age 46)
Place of birth: Hidalgo
Manager since: October 2013
Record: P6 W4 D2 L0 — 66% win record 

Best 11 (5-3-2)

Corona; Aguilar, Moreno, Marquez, Reyes, Layun; Pena, Herrera, Guardado; Peralta, Dos Santos

Squad

Goalkeepers: Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio/FRA)

Defenders: Paul Aguilar, Miguel Layun (both Club America), Hector Moreno (Espanyol/ESP), Diego Reyes (FC Porto/POR), Francisco Rodriguez (Club America), Rafael Marquez (Leon), Carlos Salcido (Tigres)

Midfielders: Hector Herrera (FC Porto/POR), Jose Juan Vazquez (Leon), Juan Carlos Medina (Club America), Carlos Pena (Leon), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Luis Montes (Leon), Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul), Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen/GER)

Forwards: Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United/ENG), Raul Jimenez (Club America), Alan Pulido (Tigres), Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal/ESP)

Group opponents

Brazil
Croatia
Cameroon

Qualifying campaign

Given a bye to Concacaf third qualifying round, where they topped Group B with a perfect six wins from six, but struggled in the fourth round, winning just two of 10 matches. Finished fourth behind the US, Costa Rica and Honduras, but thrashed New Zealand 9-3 on aggregate in a final inter-continental play-off.

World Cup history

First tournament: 1930 (in Uruguay)
Appearances (excluding 2014): 14
Best finish: Quarter-finalists (1970, 86)

Pros

• Mexico won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games and two Under-17 World Cup titles in 2005 and 2011, proving their young players have pedigree.
• The backbone of Miguel Herrera’s Club America squad, who won the Clausura league title last season, have joined him in the national team set-up.
• Coach Herrera’s confidence has been described as infectious. Despite his short time in charge and a dogged path to the finals, he has told reporters his side will reach the final. Such enthusiasm should help the players forget about the past and gel quickly.

Cons

• Striker Javier Hernandez was limited to a bit-part role at Manchester United this season and may not start for Mexico. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad striker and fans’ favourite Carlos Vela continues his two-year self-imposed exile.
• Mexico have never surpassed the last-16 on foreign soil, with two previous quarter-final finishes both recorded when they hosted the event.
• El Tri are coming off the back of a horrid qualifying campaign that saw them go through four coaches and only scrape into the finals thanks to an inter-continental play-off win over New Zealand.