Aguirre: We Need To Be Patient

Mexico have not shot out of the gates in the 2009 Gold Cup. Although El Tri beat Nicaragua 2-0, the manner in which the team went about getting the victory did not seem to silence critics of Mexico's recent performances.

But what matters the most during this competition is the result, and not necessarily the way the team looked in getting it, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said.

"We're going step by step, not at the speed everyone would like," Javier Aguirre said in a press conference. "We would liked to have won 4-0, 4-0, 4-0 and 'Viva Mexico!' but no, we need to be patient."

Mexico's sluggish play before the Gold Cup has carried over into the confederation championship, even though this team features young and inexperienced talent. Mexico, who will play Panama on Thursday in their next Gold Cup match, has sprinkled in too many lackluster performances and not enough multi-goal victories to many critics' liking. But Aguirre said their opponents have had something to do with that as Mexico has faced teams quick to defend in their path.

"I would hope that they would prepare in some other manner," Aguirre said. "I would like to have open games, with plenty of space and goals."

Still, Aguirre said he can only control his team and his team's approach.

"My team has the obligation of defend their 11 when we don't have the ball and the obligation to attack their 11 when we have the ball. In that sense, our rival deserves all of my respect.

Mexico enter the tournament ranked 33rd in the world by FIFA, though El Tri has won four Gold Cups and have played in 13 World Cups. Nicaragua, meanwhile, played their first-ever Gold Cup match on Sunday against Mexico. Perhaps with such a disparity in previous accomplishments, a more lopsided outcome than a 2-0 Mexico win was expected.

Still, what matters is what happens on the field, not what teams can list on their resumes.

"History doesn't exist the moment the referee starts a game. It doesn't exist," Aguirre said. "There are 11 players against 11 players, in the middle a referee who judges what he sees based on the rules. We need to play, to win, to be better than our rival, defend well, attack better. That's how it is. After that, if the rival has a blue shirt and is from Nicaragua, fine, or if the rival has a green shirt and is named Sierra Leone or is yellow and named Brazil, fine. We have to play to win every game, no matter who our rivals are."

While the attack has been critiqued, Mexico has not allowed a goal in their last three games - two tune-ups and the Gold Cup opener.

"That was one of our objectives, for the Mexican team to be very solid defensively, to have it be very organized, to not allow the rival to take the initiative," Aguirre said. "The objective was also to win the first Gold Cup game. The two games before that, it did not matter to us the final score but rather how the team functioned.

Mexico's two Gold Cup tune-ups were contrasting results as Mexico trounced Venezuela 4-0 before tying Guatemala 0-0. Still, the games were more alike than the scores would indicate.

"There were some good things against Venezuela, some other things that were not so good and other things that were downright bad. I'd say the same thing against Guatemala. There were some good things but I can't rip the team for a scoreless tie when the Guatemalans were disciplined, fought and saved themselves."

The Gold Cup has also gone that way for Mexico.

"Now (against Nicaragua) there were good things, not so good things and others that were bad, frankly," Aguirre said.

Goal.com

Visit Goal.com for more coverage of the Mexican National Team.

Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Introducing "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!