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Meet the Club World Cup teams: Monterrey
After capturing its first international title in 18 years, Monterrey will have had a month's rest before its first Club World Cup match.
Dec 8, 2011 5:30:00 AM
By Eric Gomez
The 2011 Club World Cup is fast approaching, and those taking part are keen to begin their run in the competition, with an eye on the ultimate prize.
The tournament, which runs from Dec. 8-18 in Japan, sees the top clubs from all the world's football confederations battle it out for glory, and while most fans are familiar with the likes of Barcelona and Santos, several of the other competitors need to be introduced.
Goal.com presents all seven teams that will be taking part in this highly-anticipated competition. Here, we profile Monterrey.
| SHORT HISTORY |
| Founded in 1945, the club received a large amount of attention from the public after an unfortunate bus accident claimed the lives of several players only a few days after its first matches. After enrolling in the Second Division in 1956, the club was promoted to the Mexican Primera just four years later. Monterrey would have to wait until 1986 to hoist its first league title, a championship that brought the club's local derby against UANL Tigres to new heights. Over the past eight years, Monterrey has enjoyed unprecedented success, winning three championships in the Mexican league and returning to the international fold with its recent CONCACAF success. Monterrey edged out Real Salt Lake in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League thanks to a Humberto Suazo strike at Rio Tinto Stadium that stunned the home side after it had drawn 2-2 in the first leg match at the Estadio Tecnologico. Previously, Monterrey had won the 1993 CONCACAF Cup Winners' Cup. |
| TACTICS & PLAYING STYLE |
| Victor Manuel Vucetich, the team's manager since 2009, has long been associated with eye-catching football, employing tactics that make it hard for opposing teams to grasp possession and push forward. Monterrey's four-defender setup is usually helped by a trio of hard men in the middle of the pitch that aid the defense in recovering possession and stopping attacks. On the wings, it is not uncommon to see designed plays utilizing two players close to the touchline in order to haul defenders over and create opportunities towards the center of the field. Up front, 'Chupete' Suazo and Aldo de Nigris take care of the goalscoring duties by employing a deadly mix of pace, power and accuracy to account for one of the most complete attacking units in Mexican football. |
| THE STAR | Humberto Suazo |
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The Chilean striker has become a legend in Monterrey, amassing over 70 goals with the Rayados in four years. For Chile, the former Colo-Colo and Zaragoza man has suited up twice for the Copa America and wore the No. 9 jersey for Marcelo Bielsa's 2010 World Cup squad. In 2006, he was the IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer, besting Peter Crouch by just one strike. |
| THE SYMBOL | Luis Ernesto Perez |
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Perez is no stranger to international competition, as the 30-year-old has been capped 67 times for Mexico, including appearances in the 2004 Olympic Games, two Confederations Cups, a pair of Gold Cup stints and the 2006 World Cup. A skilled, experienced midfielder, Perez's role is to link defense and attack and distribute the ball to Monterrey's deadly forwards. |
| THE YOUNGSTER | Hiram Mier |
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At 22 years old, Mier is already a full international for Mexico, battling for playing time in a bac kline that includes Rafael Marquez, Espanyol's Hector Moreno, Stuttgart's Francisco Rodriguez and Zaragoza's Efrain Juarez. Mier was vital in Monterrey's CONCACAF Champions League win, successfully neutralizing Salt Lake strikers in the second leg to see out victory for the Rayados. |
| THREE FUN FACTS |
- Portuguese legend Eusebio suited up for Monterrey in 1975, scoring one goal for the team in 10 league games.
- The Rayados did not recognize their 1986 league title up until the mid-1990's, due to the fact that the championship had been obtained in a short season leading up to that summer's World Cup, hosted by Mexico. When the Mexican League switched to a short season format in 1996, Monterrey formally displayed the championship over the club crest.
- The team's badge features a stylized "M" that can also be seen on both the home and away kits. The letter is not only representative of Monterrey, but of the Cerro de la Silla Hill that is seen from the team's stadium. The hill has two distinctive viewing angles that provide visual oddities. When viewed from the west, a saddle-shaped profile emerges. When seen from neighboring San Nicolas de los Garza, the "M" figure appears.
| PROBABLE STARTING XI |
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Vucetich is fond of strong defensive football, exemplified by his four-man back line that will handle any problems that opposing teams might pose. Up front, the trio of De Nigris, Delgado and Suazo has proven to be one the most effective in recent memory within Mexican football. |
 Orozco Basanta, Meza, Mier, Cardozo Delgado, Zavala, Chavez, De la Pena, Suazo, De Nigris |
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