Mexico

GOAL.COMMENTARY: Disecting Mexico's Roster For Bolivia

Of the 22 players Sven-Goran Eriksson called on for El Tri's game against Bolivia, some are good calls (Guillermo Ochoa) but others are not (Omar Bravo), says Goal.com's Sylvestre Adame.

Mar 8, 2009 1:54:26 PM

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By Sylvestre Adame

On Friday, Sven-Goran Eriksson announced which players would be facing Bolivia in El Tri’s final tune-up before facing Costa Rica in a critical World Cup qualifier.

The match is set to be played this Wednesday in Colorado. Since the match does not fall on an official FIFA date, all of the European-based players were ruled out of the roster. Guadalajara players are also out because of their Copa Libertadores match they have that same night.

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With this in mind, Eriksson filled out a roster of 22 Mexican league-based players. Like every other one of his rosters it has created mixed feelings among the Mexican faithful. There are the strengths, the weaknesses, and the determining factors that will help them win against Costa Rica on March 28th.

STRENGTHS

One huge strength with this roster will be in the goalkeeping department. Eriksson will not bring along Oswaldo Sanchez who until now always seemed to be his number one pick. Even though Sanchez is injured and unable to play, it’s a great move for the team. Guillermo Ochoa, who will likely get the start, needs more playing time with the national team. Sanchez also had a bad night in a 2-0 loss against the U.S. on Feb. 11. The last goal by Michael Bradley should have been stopped.

Another great call up is Cesar Villaluz. The Cruz Azul youngster has only been called up twice before and has only played 38 minutes, but has been very solid this year for Cruz Azul and if given the chance will contribute greatly for the National Team.

For this roster, Eriksson called up players in clusters from their clubs. For example, he called in five players from America and four from Cruz Azul. This is good for El Tri because the squad will adjust to Eriksson’s style faster. It will also create more coherence between the players because they will already know where to find each other on the pitch.

WEAKNESSES

One of the biggest weaknesses of the roster is bringing in Omar Bravo. While Bravo is a great striker, his lack of playing time in Deportivo la Coruna will show on the field. He needs more time; this game and the Costa Rica game are just too quick to call him up. A player that could have taken his place is Aldo de Nigris. De Nigris has been in great form with Monterrey this season. But Sven wants to keep his job and needs to put in a crowd favorite instead of a player deserving of a chance.

This has been a weakness that every Mexican coach has faced. It’s either put in a crowd favorite or get ridiculed by the media and fans. We’ve seen when the likes of Jared Borgetti, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, and Adolfo “Bofo” Bautista get called up even when they are way past their prime. The reason is that we as Mexican fans cannot let go of our favorites. We want to keep them in the line up forever. But if Mexico wants to advance there has to be fresh faces braking into the rosters.

No other country in the world criticizes their naturalized players like Mexico. Leandro Augusto is one of them and a favorite of Eriksson. But the pressure on him to perform is immense. The Mexican fans and media need to see him perform, if not they will eat him alive. This is a weakness; he has not given a lot to show in his recent outings. The pressure might just be too much for him to handle

WHAT IT MEANS FOR COSTA RICA

This roster will give Sven some time to think of who will replace Rafa Marquez, and Carlos Salcido, neither of whom will be able to participate in the match. The roster also includes new faces like Jose Maria Cardenas of Pachuca and Sergio Santana of Toluca. These payers will be playing their hearts out in order to be regulars in the national team. The fresh new faces will also stir up competition, which is good so the veteran players don’t come in with the mentality that they have a secured place in the roster.

Ochoa and Jose de Jesus Corona will also be fighting for the number one spot. If either of them wants it they will have to put in a good performance.

Although meaningless to a lot of people, this game and this roster against Bolivia will mean a lot. It will show strengths and weaknesses that the squad has without their European players. This is vital due to the fact that Mexico will be missing so many of them for the Costa Rica game. This game will also let some players show Sven what their made of and that they do belong in El Tri.

Sven’s roster is worthy of a B-plus. The roster shows new faces and players who are currently doing well with their clubs. But it has some players that are not ready for this game or for the Costa Rica game.

Sylvestre Adame covers Mexican soccer for Goal.com

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