Mexico

El Tri: Harsh Reality In 2008

El Tri leaves behind a dull year, characterized by the dismissal of Hugo Sánchez, the highly publicized arrival of a European manager that would finally take México to glory, and suffering more than expected in World Cup qualification.

Dec 31, 2008 3:33:12 PM

More On : Mexico

By César García

Even if the numbers were slightly on the positive side in the year 2008, the México national team left much to be desired on the pitch and faced a harsh reality regarding their status in the CONCACAF.

While there are many reasons for such a debacle, several truths emerged out of the time of crisis that hint at Mexico’s current position on the football stage.

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On the positive, there is no doubt that at home México is virtually invincible and they are always supported by their faithful which can easily be the envy of the top football nations. Also, El Tri always rise to the occasion when they face an opponent of first-rate caliber.

The negative is extensive, but the main focus is a huge step back for Mexican football which has failed to improve on the level displayed during the era of Ricardo La Volpe.

A large part of this can be attributed to issues that go beyond the football but that fall in the administrative realm of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF). Their interests to sell El Tri as a product every year rake in millions, but have led to a lack of careful competition calendar planning and many unwise managerial decisions.

The FMF must keep in mind that the football must be the main priority since Mexico’s absence in a World Cup would be the biggest blow to their interests.

It is always easy to toss blame around from the naïveté of a foreign coach unfamiliar with the local scene, lack of conviction, excessive confidence of its star players, and the economic priorities of the federation.

However, there is no good in doing so.

There is too much at stake in the upcoming year and Mexican football has the obligation to uphold their status as the main force in the CONCACAF.

Key Moments
March 16: Needing to score only one more goal against Haiti to advance, the México U23’s are eliminated from the CONCACAF Pre-Olympic tournament. México won the match 5-1, but needed a difference of +5 goals to move on to the semifinal round.

The early elimination made it clear that Mexico’s youth development isn’t as strong as originally thought and that coach Hugo Sánchez had failed in another major tournament.

March 31: Mexican legend Hugo Sánchez was dismissed as coach of the México national team. Mexican federation boss Justino Compeán indicated that the decision was made to avoid another “Olympic Failure” and to guarantee Mexico’s presence at World Cup South Africa 2010.

Coach Jesús Ramírez, who led the U17 México team to World Cup glory in 2005, was appointed as interim coach. In his brief stint in front of El Tri, Ramírez led them to three victories and only one defeat

June 3: Sven-Göran Eriksson is officially appointed as the new coach of the México national team, amid the unanimity of club owners and FMF promises of reaching new heights.

September 6/10: El Tri is off to a perfect start in the semifinal qualifying round, with home victories against Honduras, Jamaica and Canada. Also, the last legend of Mexican football, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, announces his retirement from El Tri.

October 11/16: Qualification isn’t as easy as originally perceived, after El Tri experienced many difficulties on the road. They suffered an unexpected defeat at Jamaica and salvaged a last minute draw at Canada.

November 12: Nery Castillo declares that he is not Mexico’s savior and returns to football activity with El Tri.

November 19: An own goal adds another qualifying defeat for El Tri at Honduras, as they sneak into the Hexagonal round after a lamentable football display in World Cup qualification.

November 28: Eriksson ratified as México manager, but he plays his continuity in the match-plagued first semester of 2009.

Best Match
March 26: México 2-1 Ghana, Fulham, England
It was a friendly encounter against a quality opponent in a neutral setting on European soil. Without any participation in international tournaments, this match fulfilled all the requirements so México could continue progressing on the world stage and it served a better purpose than all the combined friendlies in the United States that the FMF schedules on a yearly basis.

The match featured two complete teams with most of the big names, and overall it was a good and hard test for both sides.
Even if the victory provided some type of comfort after the the pre-Olympic elimination, the match saw the best football display of El Tri in 2008 and it was the last match of Hugo Sánchez at the helm of the national team.

Honorable Mention
September 6: México 3-0 Jamaica

Second To Last
June 4: México 1-4 Argentina
Argentina continued to demonstrate their dominance over El Tri and exposed the drastic differences that separate México from the top teams.

Worst Match
October 11: Jamaica 1-0 México
An uninspired México performance in which they lacked mobility, idea, and completely underestimated their opponent. El Tri went to Jamaica looking for at least one away point to virtually guarantee their qualification to the Hexagonal round, but their excessive confidence and the reality that Jamaica at home is no longer an easy opponent in the CONCACAF, exposed their weaknesses on the road.

Selected as the worst match for the poor performance, lack of reaction on the pitch, complicated qualification, and because it started a downward spiral for El Tri which they have yet to satisfactorily surmount.

A Look Ahead
El Tri must quickly find a reaction to their lackluster 2008, since ahead of them is a busy competition calendar for the new year that will not be as forgiving and with higher stakes at play.

From late January to June, El Tri is scheduled to play 10 matches, five of which are qualifiers.

During qualification, El Tri must make it a priority to improve and add points on the road, which they were incapable of achieving in the semifinal round.

Even if Sven-Göran Eriksson counts with the support of the FMF, a bad start to the Hexagonal final round could cost the Swede his post since the poor performances and results have left many club owners unsatisfied with his work.

Eriksson has been conditioned and plays his permanence at the helm of the México national team during the first term of 2009, when he will have to prove that he is worth the almost seven million dollars in salary he receives.

However, Eriksson cannot continue to be the problem in 2009. While he has the obligation to finally demonstrate his highly publicized managerial category, the deficiencies that surrounded him when he assumed the role will continue to be a factor.

The Swedish manager has fulfilled his duties by his constant presence at many domestic league matches. He must now use his analysis of the Mexican league and players to comprise a team that will allow him to efficiently work in the always short training camps before qualification matches.

Eriksson has sole responsibility in the formation México presents and it is clear that he has two options: to continue depending on a foreign-base with little time to work and which brought few positives; or carefully work with a team composed of the best in the domestic league combined with the handful of foreign-based players that remain vital to the national team.

It is likely that the FMF will end up using the Swede as a scapegoat if results aren’t promising. A decision which would only end up temporarily masking the apparent stagnation of Mexican football, which has not experienced any major growth since their last match in World Cup Germany 2006.

Only a couple months separate El Tri from their World Cup fate, and it is clear that with such a short time the priorities must remain in the football realm and not in the economic.

For better or worse, the federation already did their job in scheduling a packed calendar, they must now move aside and leave the football to those who know it best.

2008 Record
Overall: 9 Wins, 2 Draws, 4 Losses

Goals In Favor: 30; Goals Against: 15

World Cup Qualifying: 5 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
(Includes home-and-away Preliminary Round series against Belize)

Friendlies: 4 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses

--César García covers México for Goal.com.
Contact him with any questions or comments at: cesar.garcia@goal.com.

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