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Mexico's Aguirre: Mistakes Are An Inherent Part Of The Game
Javier Aguirre said Guillermo Ochoa's goalkeeping gaffe was just something that happens in football from time to time.
Mar 18, 2010 10:25:00 AM
El Tri will play Iceland on March 24 in Charlotte, N.C., and sometime between that game and their May 7 match against Ecuador in New York, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre will have released his World Cup roster.
The North Korea match was a valuable step in the process, Aguirre said.
"We're going along as we had planned," Aguirre said. "Korea were a worthy rival, a World Cup team for sure, and that helps us in this phase of observing players. We won, and that helps. It is a better atmosphere with these conditions but the result is not important."
Still, the game was marked by poor performances and an overall lack of punch. Mexico had shown fire in their first game of the year, a 5-0 win over Bolivia in February, and played a solid match against New Zealand. But after the North Korea match, Aguirre was left having to answer for his young goalkeeper.
Guillermo Ochoa made a startling gaffe in the second half. North Korea's Kum Choe Chol lined up a shot on goal from some 25 yards out. The ball dipped and bounced into the goal, with Ochoa twisting his arms around in a failed attempt to get to it. Aguirre said mistakes are part of the game.
"It's not the first nor will it be the last mistake Memo makes," Aguirre said. "He is the least at fault for what you (the media) have signaled. He is a professional, and mistakes are an inherent part of the game. The goalkeeper is the last man and it won't be the first or last time he makes an error."
As far as the overall performances from players, some did well and have done well and others, not quite.
"There are players who are headed in the right direction, players who have met our expectations and others who we need to try them out a little bit more," Aguirre said.
With nearly one month until their self-imposed World Cup roster date, Aguirre said the issues that have come to mind in terms of selecting the final roster are vast.
"It's difficult," Aguirre said. "There are players who played in qualifying, who played in the Gold Cup, otheres who are in Europe and you all make your analysis," Aguirre said. "I've gone through about 50 or 60 players. I have the chance to call up 18 and obviously they won't all be able to make the trip to Europe because over there, there are 10 or 11 players who are waiting for the possibility to get together. Managers always have the obligation to analyze things that suddenly might not be so apparent."
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