Mexico

Commentary: Mexico Needs Dynamite

Ahead of their opening match in the 2009 Hexagonal, several Mexican players have an opportunity to shine at forward.

Feb 10, 2009 1:59:16 AM

More On : Mexico

By Nayib Morán

As Guatemalan-born Carlos Alberto Batres González blows his whistle to start the much anticipated “Cold War” between the United States and Mexico on Wednesday, Mexico coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will likely hope his forwards will score and break the barrier that has held them to only three goals in Eriksson’s first nine games as Mexican coach.

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The last time Mexico defeated the United States in American soil was in March 13, 1999. What makes it more worrisome to Eriksson and his coaching staff is that Mexico has not scored more than three goals in the last 10 games played against the United States in the “Land of the Free.” The Mexican national team lacks dynamite, and if Mexican fans are contemplating a renaissance of the Mexican national team come Wednesday, they better have their fingers cross and hope that the Mexican forwards are inspired.

If there is a position that the Mexican national team has lacked in the last years, it is undoubtedly the forward position. Mexico needs other forwards like Jared Borgetti, Luis Roberto Alves “Zaguinho” or Luis “El Matador” Hernandez. Though at this moment the mirror is blurry, there’s still hope that players such as Giovanni Dos Santos, Nery Castillo, Cesar Villaluz, Omar Bravo, Guillermo Franco, Carlos Ochoa – the Mexican forward that’s playing the best soccer entering the match – and Matias Vuoso, who has scored two goals in the Eriksson Era, have been the chosen ones to be the founders of what is hoped to be the rebirth of the Mexican national soccer team.

Without a doubt knowing that several Mexican forwards are going through tough moments with their respective European clubs, due to the amount of playing time given to them by their coaches, it’s almost impossible to ask for them to score in an official soccer game for their national team. Both Dos Santos and Bravo arrived early to the Mexican team’s concentration in the capital city because both were not in the plans for the upcoming games in their clubs coach’s mind. But even though these players are inactive, they hold pride for their nation and are willing to do whatever they can to get the victory in Columbus.

After he was asked about his lamentable showings after Tottenham’s Christmas party, Dos Santos said: “It is the moment to talk on the field and work to my full potential. I worry to be good, so I can help the national team… I hope I can recuperate the happiness on the field.” Undeniably, Dos Santos represents Mexico’s soccer future, and there are miniscule possibilities that he will start on Wednesday but if he does come in the game, he will be the Giovani Dos Santos that crossed all of the U-17 Brazilian defenders in 2005.

On the other hand is Omar Bravo, the last Mexican forward to win the title of leading goal scorer in the Mexican League. The Los Mochis, Sinaloa native was spotted having a long chat with coach Eriksson on Sunday afternoon in Columbus, but after Bravo been questioned about the situation he answered, “We talked about a lot of things, nothing from another world, only soccer.”

Eriksson knows that Bravo is an excellent alternative and might cope well with Castillo and Vuoso on the front. Then again Bravo is an inconsistent player. In 2006, Bravo played an excellent game in Mexico’s first group stage game of the World Cup against Iran, scoring two goals. But then the crystal shattered as he missed a penalty kick against the Portuguese, which would have given the Mexican national team a chance to beat Luiz Felipe Scolari’s pupils.

If there is a player in the Mexican national team that has the skills and qualities to change a game, it is Castillo. However, Castillo had an unbecoming 2008. He didn’t have much playing time with Manchester City, and he also dealt with his mother’s death. In the last month, he has participated in preseason with the club that bought him from Olympiakos for a large sum of money, Shakhtar Donetsk. Castillo played an excellent game against the United States in the Gold Cup Final. Thanks to his excellent dribbling skills performed on Oguchi Onyewu, Andres Guardado scored Mexico’s goal after Castillo’s pass.

After his first training session with the Mexican squad in Columbus, Castillo said “I’m really prepared, know what I want, and I will work hard to get my stamina back. I feel in excellent conditions, and at this moment the most important thing is that Mexico has to win on Wednesday.”

Castillo seems to be once again the player that excited a whole country in 2005 when he scored four goals in La Copa America, including that phenomenal goal against Brazil. Eriksson needs to plan out the best team possible, and it’s not an unknown fact that the forward positions are going to be toughest to pick.

Certainly, Eriksson has options, but unfortunately there is not a reliable one; Mexico doesn’t have a forward scoring a goal every weekend in a European League or the Mexican League. Mexican fans hope that the transformation will take place in the Columbus Crew Stadium and start the journey to South Africa 2010 with a victory that will echo the message that the giant of the CONCACAF is back and ready to stay.

Nayib Morán covers Mexican soccer for Goal.com.

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