Bueno's Views: Mexico Seek Redemption In Gold Cup

By Luis Bueno

Until sometime in the mid-1990s, CONCACAF was Mexico’s region. Sure, there were other nations who played soccer ‘round these parts, but the upper tier consisted of one team.

That is no longer the case, and hasn’t been that way for more than a decade. The rest of the region has improved dramatically over that span while Mexico has regressed, particularly in the last year – that Mexico sit in fourth place and out of an automatic World Cup berth midway through the Hexagonal is testament to that drop.

But Mexico has also struggled in the confederation championship. While Mexico racked up three Gold Cup titles in the 1990s, El Tri thus far has won just one of the five Gold Cups played this decade as Mexico has fallen well short of dominating their regional foes in the biennial tournament.

While Mexico will probably never regain their perch alone atop CONCACAF, El Tri can begin to turn things around in their favor soon. A Gold Cup championship would help Mexico regain some of the luster that has been lost in recent years.

Mexico has fallen on hard times in the Gold Cup, but it’s not as if El Tri has treated this tournament with anything less than respect. There have been times, such as the current edition, that Mexico have left some of their top players at home instead of bringing them to this tournament, but Mexico hit the 2007 edition with all of their guns blazing and still lost. This decade has also featured some stunning upsets, notably a semifinal loss to Canada in the 2000 edition and a first-round loss to South Africa in the 2005 tournament.

To close out the decade, though, Mexico could do well to return back to the 1990s. Mexico won three consecutive Gold Cup titles in the 90s, having beaten the United States twice and Brazil in the final.

This edition will be a bit of a proving ground for Mexico from the start. Awaiting the team in the first round will be Nicaragua, Panama and Guadeloupe. While the trio might seem less than fearsome, Mexico cannot expect to simply show up and win those games with ease. Mexico need to show something from the start.

Faced with the task of helping guide Mexico to success will be a team of hopeful youngsters. To help restore faith and confidence in the Mexican national team, manager Javier Aguirre has selected a squad whose senior player is Gerardo Torrado, a two-time World Cup veteran. Also on the team are players with experience such as Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco, a late addition to the team.

But on the roster are also players like Luis Miguel Noriega and Edgar Dueñas, who have little international experience, as well as youngsters Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos, prospects who many are hoping will begin to blossom in this edition.

It might not provide the most confidence in Mexico supporters but the players will be judged by their accomplishments on the field regardless.

Another person who will be judged for the team’s performance is Aguirre. Although Aguirre was well-received when he took over as manager in April, Mexico’s near-desperate situation in World Cup qualifying has left a need for immediate results. Aguirre lost his first game in charge of El Tri, a 2-1 setback in a qualifying match in El Salvador. Success in the Gold Cup could go a long way towards helping Aguirre gain confidence in the team.

But failure in the Gold Cup could have a negative impact. Already Aguirre has been criticized for not having taken Mexico’s full team to the Gold Cup. Players like Andres Guardado, Carlos Salcido and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who figure to be key players for Mexico down the stretch in qualifying, were left off the roster.

Instead of having the opportunity to get his top players to gel with one another in his system, Aguirre chose to use Gold Cup as a chance for youngsters to help bring the team success.

Still, despite the makeup of the roster and the form the team has shown in recent months and years, Mexico will be judged by their finish. If Mexico fall short of the final, the team will have done little to restore confidence and will instead leave itself open for more criticism.

But if Mexico hoist the trophy after a triumphant final, then the team can start reclaiming their spot near the top of CONCACAF.

Luis Bueno is Goal.com's Mexico editor.

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