The plan
It's been a tough couple of years for El
Tri
.
Gerardo Martino is in the spotlight because his team seems to be going backwards as the World Cup approaches.
Doubts about his competitiveness grow and grow since the defeat in the Concacaf Nations League final against the United States in June 2021. The Argentine, however, has always found a way to see the glass "half full".
“I am happy and excited.
I have a very positive feeling with the team in every way”, he said last September after beating Peru.
Three days later, Mexico lost to Colombia despite going into the break two goals ahead.
And it is that, unlike other World Cups, the fans are not connecting with Martino's team.
The Tri
' matches
at the World Cup used to be an important event in a passionate country.
Not now.
When they qualified for Qatar there was no massive party at the Estadio Azteca like in the past.
Despite this, at least 40,000 fans are expected to travel to Doha.
As the Mexican writer Juan Villoro said: “In Mexico we are not sure that the future exists.
Each joy can be the last and that is why thousands of compatriots will go to the World Cup”.
On paper, Mexico's tactic looks quite attractive: a high-pressing team with aggressive play on the wings.
Martino likes to control the game with the ball and play with quick passing exchanges.
Wingers like Alexis Vega, Hirving Lozano, Uriel Antuna and Roberto Alvarado are crucial to the application of the coach's ideas.
The main problem for Martino is the inability to keep up the good game throughout a match.
In fact, the only regularity seems to be his inconsistency.
The Argentine is also worried about the physical condition of two key players: Raúl Jiménez and Jesús
Tecatito
Corona.
Mexico Ranking
group C
Argentina
Saudi Arabia
Mexico
Poland
The star, the unsung hero, and the selector
Hirving Lozano
Hirving Lozano, known as
Chucky
, is a force of nature and it seems, at times, that the only way to stop him is through illegal methods.
An explosive winger, turned into a kind of false 9, fast and with a great shot.
A right-handed striker whose impact at Napoli has nothing to do with his stature at El
Tri
.
He was the record signing of the Neapolitans, even more expensive than Diego Maradona, and after a time of adaptation he is having a magnificent season in 2022-2023.
Edson Alvarez
No player is more important in Martino's system than Álvarez.
Although the spotlights are on Lozano, Guillermo Ochoa or Vega, Álvarez is the master in the shadows.
He started out as a central defender playing for América, but evolved into an outstanding and elegant defensive midfielder who gives cohesion to the teams between the lines.
He is so good with the ball at his feet that some fans call him
Edsonbauer
, considering his style reminiscent of Franz Beckenbauer.
In any case, Álvarez is essential to Martino's plans.
Gerardo Martino
Gerardo
Tata
Martino is a world-renowned veteran coach who arrived in Mexico in January 2019 with the task of breaking the curse of the 'fourth game'.
El
Tri
has reached the last 16 of every world championship since 1994, but has never managed to go further.
After a promising start for Martino - winning the 2019 Gold Cup and beating a powerhouse like the Netherlands - the momentum began to fade.
They lost three games in a row against the United States in 2021, which brought the project to its first crisis.
Qualifying for the World Cup became an ordeal, with dribbles of victories and far from offering beautiful football.
Tata
has called himself “public enemy number 1 in Mexico” and he is not entirely wrong.
Position on Qatar
Mexican soccer players are not used to talking about politics or human rights.
In fact, Mexican soccer has historically been an apolitical bubble.
National league players have failed to form unions or to fight for their own rights.
Add to this that Qatar's human rights record has not been a major issue in Mexico, even the media has barely talked about it.
Because of this, it is easy to understand why the players have kept silent.
However, there is the paradox that Mexico has its own problems, related to the drug cartels that are spread throughout the country, and there is an increasing demand for soccer players to make themselves heard and get more involved in their communities.
National anthem
The
Mexican National Anthem
is a war cry.
It was used for the first time in 1854, written by the poet Francisco González Bocanegra the previous year and composed by the Spanish Jaime Nuno.
The lyrics call on Mexicans to defend their homeland, with which Bocanegra tries to represent the patriotic ideals that Antonio López de Santa Ana, president of the time, sought to convey by calling a federal contest to create the anthem.
With a bellicose melody, it fits perfectly into a soccer context for the fans of
El Tri
.
Cult hero of all time
Jorge Campos during a match against Belgium at the 1998 World Cup. Marcus Brandt (Bongarts/Getty Images)
Jorge Campos is the embodiment of the Mexican soul.
Born in Acapulco in 1966, he became a symbol of the 90's in Mexican culture.
Colorful, extravagant, acrobatic and unorthodox goalkeeper, he was crowned thanks to his risky and chaotic style of play.
The fact that he could also play as a striker - he scored 35 goals in his career - and his unusual, iconic, colourful, self-designed goalkeeper shirts made him unique.
His popularity shows no sign of diminishing as he is now a beloved TV commentator.
He is pure Mexican folklore and is rightfully called
El immortal
.
World Cup career
Germany Saudi Arabia Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Cameroon Canada Qatar Costa Rica Croatia Denmark Ecuador Spain United States France Wales Ghana England Iran Japan Morocco Mexico Netherlands Poland Portugal Republic of Korea Senegal Serbia Switzerland Tunisia Uruguay
Choose a selection to compare Germany Saudi Arabia Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Cameroon Canada Qatar Costa Rica Croatia Denmark Ecuador Spain United States France Wales Ghana England Iran Japan Morocco Mexico Netherlands Poland Portugal Republic of Korea Senegal Serbia Switzerland Tunisia Uruguay
all selections
Group A
qatar
Netherlands
Senegal
Ecuador
B Group
England
USA
Iran
Welsh
Group C
Argentina
Mexico
Poland
Saudi Arabia
Group D
France
Denmark
Tunisia
Australia
Group E
Spain
Germany
Japan
Costa Rica
Group F
Belgium
Croatia
Morocco
Canada
Group G
Brazil
Swiss
Serbian
Cameroon
Group H
Portugal
Uruguay
South Korea
Ghana
Click on each selection to see its detailed information
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