Mexico further proved that they are the tale of two opposites, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, of the world of soccer.
First, El Tri pulled off a draw in a game they arguably should’ve won against South Africa; but it was the tournament opener and, understandably, the visitors were nervous. Then, in a must win game against France, Mexico put on an amazing performance, prompting people to rave about how great the team looked and how this would be the year that Mexico would get to that ever-just-out-of-reach fifth game.
Against Uruguay on Tuesday, everyone expected the speedy, sharp, organized and determined Tri that showed up against Les Blues; that, however, was not the case. Instead, what we got was the complete opposite. We got the Mexican side that struggled against the likes of Jamaica and El Salvador in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
“We maybe lacked some attitude, a desire to really win the game, not just say that in the dressing room,” said Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre after 1-0 loss to Uruguay.
Right on track, Señor Aguirre. Mexico completely lacked the desire to win, perhaps a little complacent and too secure that France or South Africa wouldn’t win in emphatic fashion to displace them from the Group A No. 2 slot.
Furthermore, the clamor of fans and Monday morning gaffers asking for the inclusion of Javier “Chicharito” Hernández—the only forward to score on the run of play—and a keeper other than Óscar Pérez now resonate louder than ever.
Nonetheless, El Tri managed to get into the second round, and that’s all that should matter now, as they are given new life and a fresh start.
Thus, in five days time, Mexico will seek revenge against the rivals that handed them the heart crushing elimination in the Germany 2006 Round of 16. The demands to put “Chicharito” in will subside and the popular “¡Sí se puede!” battle cry will rise.
So amidst all the discontent and frustrations from the followers, one ray of hope remains: The Mexico side that always shows up when they play against big name opponents, such as the team that has beaten Brazil, or most recently the side that dominated England despite the loss. It's the same squad that went toe-to-toe with Holland in a defeat, and the eleven that beat Italy and France in June.
And now El Tri will have the chance to add Argentina’s name to that list.
“We no longer have any kind of inferiority complex or fears of that sort,” defender Francisco Rodríguez told FIFA.com on Monday. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Argentina, Brazil or Germany—we’ll aim to play at the same high level.”
So, for all Mexico fans and followers, it will hopefully be the organized and effective Tri, the fearless one that Rodríguez talked about, that show up on the upcoming fateful night in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium.
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