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Mexicans Abroad Recap: Chicharito can't find the range in quiet holiday period
Most Mexicans overseas enjoyed time off during the holiday period, though Javier Hernandez and Nery Castillo both had forgettable weeks at their respective clubs.
Jan 2, 2012 6:00:00 PM
By Nick Rosano
Getty
It's been a fairly quiet week for Mexicans abroad, with most of the world taking time off from soccer to enjoy the the holidays. While most Mexicans plying their trade overseas enjoyed a holiday break, though, the Premier League was in full swing, meaning two more games for Javier Hernandez and Manchester United. However, there was little cheer to found for the pair.
United played two fixtures in the week following Christmas, with decidely mixed results. Hernandez played the full 90 minutes in his side's 5-0 home win over Wigan, but was overshadowed by Dimitar Berbatov and Nani, registering just a single close-range shot that was saved.
Hernandez found the going even more difficult in United's shock 3-2 defeat to Blackburn at Old Trafford. He struggled to find space in a congested Blackburn penalty area, his first touch looked heavy and he inadvertently blocked a close-range shot from Phil Jones that could have been United's equalizer before being replaced at halftime by Anderson after registering one shot on target.
It will likely be little consolation to Hernandez and his fans, but few of his United teammates looked much better. Nani was active, but extremely wasteful with his shooting, and even Berbatov with his two-goal haul conceded the penalty that allowed Yakubu to open the scoring.
Hernandez and United are back in action on Jan. 4, when they travel to St. James' Park for a showdown against Newcastle United.
Nothing doing for Dos Santos, Pedroza
For the other two Mexican players in England, even the crowded holiday schedule did not give Giovani dos Santos and Antonio Pedroza the opportunity to show they deserve to play more. While Pedroza, 20, just joined his club last summer and will likely get more opportunities to prove himself in the first team, it has become fairly clear that dos Santos is no longer needed at White Hart Lane. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has played it coy, saying there will be no dealings in January, but do not be surprised if Dos Santos is among those allowed to leave in order to raise funds.
Castillo sits again
Aris, home to Nery Castillo, was the only other side featuring a Mexican player in action during the last week of 2011, but there was little joy to be found for the forward. He was left out of the squad for his second straight match (Aris defeated Doxa Dramas 2-0) after reacting angrily to his substitution in a 0-0 draw with Panaitolikos on Dec. 18.
Rumblings in Spain
With so little match action over the last week for the Mexican contingent abroad, there's also plenty of time to focus on the storylines worth keeping an eye on in the next few weeks, in particular the fate of Mexico's sizeable representation in Spain.
Put simply, the holiday mood was far from festive in the Real Zaragoza camp. Javier Aguirre's side sits rock-bottom in La Liga, having lost eight of its last nine league games, with the year capped off by an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at home against second division Alcorcon that saw it eliminated from the Copa del Rey, a game in which neither Pablo Barrera nor Efrain Juarez featured. Anything but a win at 19th-placed Racing Santander this coming weekend could very well spell the end for Aguirre and raise questions about the futures of Barrera and Juarez at the club beyond the end of the season.
In the northwest corner of the peninsula, Andres Guardado will have plenty to think about over the coming months – his contract with Deportivo La Coruña is up in six months, meaning he is free to negotiate with any team interested in his services. While Deportivo is currently sitting in an automatic promotion spot (in no small part thanks to Guardado's six goals and three assists) and could well be back in the top flight next season, it is unlikely that the winger will opt to re-sign with the Galician outfit, looking to turn his solid 2011 performances into a move that should see him take a step forward in his career.
On the other hand, Espanyol has been enjoying a solid season, and entered the winter break in eighth place in La Liga and in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, where it will face second-tier Cordoba. Hector Moreno has proven himself to be one of the most consistent players in the squad, while young striker Taufic Guarch has seen himself largely limited to reserve action, though has expressed his delight at training with the first team and his desire to continue fighting for a permanent spot there.
Returning home
Argentine-born Guillermo Franco, who was naturalized by Mexico and represented El Tri 25 times, will return to his adopted country. He joins Pachuca after a moderately successful spell at Argentina's Velez Sarsfield, where his nine goals in all competitions during the second half of 2011 helped the team to third place in the 2011 Apertura and the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana.
Franco joins Omar Bravo (Sporting KC to Cruz Azul) and Herbert Alferez (HNK Rijeka to Atlante, on loan from Atlas) as the third Mexican player to return from playing abroad during the winter transfer window.
United played two fixtures in the week following Christmas, with decidely mixed results. Hernandez played the full 90 minutes in his side's 5-0 home win over Wigan, but was overshadowed by Dimitar Berbatov and Nani, registering just a single close-range shot that was saved.
Hernandez found the going even more difficult in United's shock 3-2 defeat to Blackburn at Old Trafford. He struggled to find space in a congested Blackburn penalty area, his first touch looked heavy and he inadvertently blocked a close-range shot from Phil Jones that could have been United's equalizer before being replaced at halftime by Anderson after registering one shot on target.
It will likely be little consolation to Hernandez and his fans, but few of his United teammates looked much better. Nani was active, but extremely wasteful with his shooting, and even Berbatov with his two-goal haul conceded the penalty that allowed Yakubu to open the scoring.
Hernandez and United are back in action on Jan. 4, when they travel to St. James' Park for a showdown against Newcastle United.
Nothing doing for Dos Santos, Pedroza
For the other two Mexican players in England, even the crowded holiday schedule did not give Giovani dos Santos and Antonio Pedroza the opportunity to show they deserve to play more. While Pedroza, 20, just joined his club last summer and will likely get more opportunities to prove himself in the first team, it has become fairly clear that dos Santos is no longer needed at White Hart Lane. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has played it coy, saying there will be no dealings in January, but do not be surprised if Dos Santos is among those allowed to leave in order to raise funds.
Castillo sits again
Aris, home to Nery Castillo, was the only other side featuring a Mexican player in action during the last week of 2011, but there was little joy to be found for the forward. He was left out of the squad for his second straight match (Aris defeated Doxa Dramas 2-0) after reacting angrily to his substitution in a 0-0 draw with Panaitolikos on Dec. 18.
Rumblings in Spain
With so little match action over the last week for the Mexican contingent abroad, there's also plenty of time to focus on the storylines worth keeping an eye on in the next few weeks, in particular the fate of Mexico's sizeable representation in Spain.
Put simply, the holiday mood was far from festive in the Real Zaragoza camp. Javier Aguirre's side sits rock-bottom in La Liga, having lost eight of its last nine league games, with the year capped off by an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at home against second division Alcorcon that saw it eliminated from the Copa del Rey, a game in which neither Pablo Barrera nor Efrain Juarez featured. Anything but a win at 19th-placed Racing Santander this coming weekend could very well spell the end for Aguirre and raise questions about the futures of Barrera and Juarez at the club beyond the end of the season.
In the northwest corner of the peninsula, Andres Guardado will have plenty to think about over the coming months – his contract with Deportivo La Coruña is up in six months, meaning he is free to negotiate with any team interested in his services. While Deportivo is currently sitting in an automatic promotion spot (in no small part thanks to Guardado's six goals and three assists) and could well be back in the top flight next season, it is unlikely that the winger will opt to re-sign with the Galician outfit, looking to turn his solid 2011 performances into a move that should see him take a step forward in his career.
On the other hand, Espanyol has been enjoying a solid season, and entered the winter break in eighth place in La Liga and in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, where it will face second-tier Cordoba. Hector Moreno has proven himself to be one of the most consistent players in the squad, while young striker Taufic Guarch has seen himself largely limited to reserve action, though has expressed his delight at training with the first team and his desire to continue fighting for a permanent spot there.
Returning home
Argentine-born Guillermo Franco, who was naturalized by Mexico and represented El Tri 25 times, will return to his adopted country. He joins Pachuca after a moderately successful spell at Argentina's Velez Sarsfield, where his nine goals in all competitions during the second half of 2011 helped the team to third place in the 2011 Apertura and the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana.
Franco joins Omar Bravo (Sporting KC to Cruz Azul) and Herbert Alferez (HNK Rijeka to Atlante, on loan from Atlas) as the third Mexican player to return from playing abroad during the winter transfer window.
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