It seemed like Jesus Corona's Mexico career was on hold. The Porto winger and El Tri manager Tata Martino got off on the wrong foot. Martino said the decision not to turn up for March's camp after being called would have consequences.
Now, he's here in the camp. He walked out to the training ground on Thursday with Hirving Lozano, a pairing few national teams in CONCACAF, much less the world, would look forward to seeing on the wings.
How did it all happen? Well, Corona and his former Porto team-mate Hector Herrera, another player in the camp under Martino for the first time as El Tri prepares for Friday's game against the United States, started with the simple act of communicating.
“The fact we might be seeing them for the first time doesn't mean that during this time we haven't talked with them,” Martino said in his pre-match news conference. “Hector, before the Gold Cup, we had a really extensive conversation in which each person was able to explain their position.
“Jesus we were talking during the course of the Gold Cup. Fundamentally, because of those conversations, they're here today."
Martino has to like what he's seen from Corona. He's been on the biggest stages for Mexico for so long it's easy to forget that, at age 26, he still has plenty more to give. He's a technical player who can beat his defender with a dribble or ping a cross in for a target forward,
His most recent assist for Porto came with Corona filling a different profile from the one he's been in for nearly a decade. His club manager Sergio Conceicao, a former right-winger himself, has been playing Corona as a right back. In Porto's 3-0 win over Vitoria Guimaraes, Corona got forward, whipped a ball into the box for Moussa Marega and had an assist within 15 minutes.
GettyWhile Martino enjoys having attacking fullbacks, and spent the Gold Cup with a pair of converted wingers on the outside of defense with Jesus Gallardo and Luis 'Chaka' Rodriguez filling the roles, he sees Corona as a winger for the national team – at least for now.
“Today we’re thinking about Jesus as a winger who is good on the right and good on the left. After that in his club, he might be utilized as a fullback,” Martino said. “In the future that could open the path for us to think about using him as a right back if there’s some moment or need to use him as a right back. Today there’s no chance he’ll play in this place. We’ve got players to play there.”
While he's an intriguing option to slot in at right back, you also can understand why Martino would want Corona to play a more attacking position. El Tri's wingers during that Gold Cup run were generally not wingers at all.
Rodolfo Pizarro did a nice job as one of the wide players but ultimately is better suited to play as a No. 10 or even a second striker. Roberto Alvarado is stronger in either a more withdrawn position in the midfield or also through the middle.
Uriel Antuna plays on the wing, but Martino didn't even have him in the team before a number of injuries ended up with the current LA Galaxy player having a breakout tournament.
El Tri already have plenty of weapons in their arsenal, but getting Corona back in gives Martino yet another option. While only Lozano may be playing as an out-and-out winger (and even he earned his first minutes as a second striker), Corona gives him another player who can fill the winger profile needed to make his 4-3-3 deadly.
That's not to say Corona will not be guaranteed a starting job. Currently, nobody is with Mexico.
Martino noted Herrera, who will need to get past Gold Cup final MVP Jonathan dos Santos and Carlos Rodriguez if he's to play in his typical spot on the right side of midfield, is fighting for a place just like he does with Atletico Madrid.
“In the same way Raul and Javier compete to be center forward, he has to be with and compete for a place with Jona, with Carlitos Rodriguez, with Edson if we think about central midfielder. It's the same with Andres or Erick if we think about the left side.
“Having experience, having a really successful career doesn't mean you stop competing.”
Midfield is the strength of El Tri, however. It's the deepest place on the field for Martino. Mexico has talented wide attackers as well, but Corona can place himself pretty high on the depth chart with a good showing this window - both in training and in the friendly games.
Look for Corona to compete. Perhaps he'll be part of Friday's squad. Maybe his time won't come until the Argentina match next week. But Corona can pick up where he left off with the national team and give Martino yet another option that only makes his team better.