Issues did not precisely go to plan for Mexico on Wednesday within the Copa América.
With a golden alternative to maneuver a step nearer to the knockout spherical, having kicked off their marketing campaign with a 1-0 win over Jamaica, El Tri then flopped in opposition to underdogs Venezuela of their midweek comply with up. Regardless of their undefeated document in opposition to the Conmebol facet in official competitions — and the majority-Mexico crowd at Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium — supervisor Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano and his males stumbled 1-0 in opposition to the Venezuelans.
The beautiful end result, which put their knockout-round hopes at critical threat, despatched the nation’s followers and media right into a frenzy.
“Nationwide disappointment,” learn one headline. “They’re a humiliation,” learn one other.
Lozano, already on the new seat after poor warm-up performances forward of the Copa, is now in a must-win scenario when his facet faces Ecuador on Sunday. Something lower than victory will end in a cataclysmic exit within the group stage.
“Now we have 90 minutes [left] and nobody is getting off this ship and we’ll make it,” Lozano stated after Wednesday’s loss. “We will make it, of that I am certain.”
Will they, although?
How Mexico bought right here
Detailing the issues in Mexican soccer is a prolonged endeavor in itself. There are a selection of underlying components which have put up roadblocks for the game on the worldwide and membership stage, however associated to El Tri, two undoubtedly standout.
First, many younger up-and-comers aren’t being given constant minutes in Liga MX, and second, home golf equipment have made it troublesome for promising gamers to maneuver to Europe due to their demand for inflated switch charges.
The end result is an absence of depth for the nationwide staff that has typically relied on ageing stars, which led to Lozano’s latest choice to assist drive a change of his personal for the Copa. With an purpose to construct towards the 2026 World Cup, Mexico’s coach overlooked high-profile veterans like Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Guillermo Ochoa and Raúl Jiménez, amongst others.
It has been a raffle for the coach, and thus far, it has been a combined bag. Together with the 2 warm-up video games forward of the match, El Tri have misplaced three of their previous 4 matches, all to Conmebol opponents. Their single victory in that span was in opposition to Concacaf rivals Jamaica within the Copa group stage.
On paper, Mexico ought to have at the least earned a draw in opposition to Venezuela on Wednesday, which might have put them on extra stable floor by this weekend. With none participant from Lozano’s experiment really stepping up within the midweek conflict, although, there’s now no room for error.
What Lozano should repair in 4 days
The excellent news for Mexico? The stats after two rounds of video games spotlight that El Tri are main Group B in anticipated objectives (xG) (3.85), photographs on course (14) and touches within the opposition field (75). The dangerous information? They’ve scored simply as soon as in 180-plus minutes of match play.
Lozano’s employees are seemingly properly conscious of this. On the day after the loss to Venezuela, ending was one of many 5 focuses for a bunch of gamers in a Thursday coaching session. It looks as if the obvious factor that could possibly be stated, however, Mexico should rating on Sunday. They’ve put themselves in good positions and must be environment friendly within the closing third.
these stats, it is also price noting that Mexico are final of their group, and second to final in the complete match, in terms of their success fee of duels, 44.4%.
Though we needs to be cautious with making an attempt to make concrete assumptions from a minuscule pattern dimension of simply two video games, small changes could possibly be sufficient to push Mexico to a victory.
Maybe selecting a delegated penalty taker can also be on Lozano’s to-do checklist after Orbelín Pineda‘s failure to transform from the spot vs. Venezuela, however remember the fact that Mexico’s coach hinted that he leaves that call to his gamers.
“I consider that the participant who has the arrogance to shoot it [takes the penalties]. Now we have excellent shooters within the nationwide staff,” Lozano stated on Wednesday. “I am not a lot about selecting one … [the players] come to an settlement, whoever is bound that they will do it.”
What a group-stage exit would imply for Mexico
There’s been loads of speak from the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) about Lozano’s challenge for the following World Cup, however make no mistake, an exit within the group stage of the Copa may presumably result in his firing. The FMF is a notoriously fickle group that has dropped coaches for much less.
Concerning the gamers, and no matter Lozano’s future, a failure to qualify for the knockout spherical would additionally seemingly convey a couple of outdated faces again into the nationwide staff combine. Whereas it is smart why there could be a push to part out ageing members of the squad, a poor efficiency on the Copa would imply that the phasing out could possibly be extra gradual, as an alternative of leaving them out altogether.
Mexico’s standing within the world recreation would additionally proceed its regression on the world stage. As soon as two-time finalists within the Copa, a group-stage end would then mark the third time they’ve finished so of their previous 4 appearances. On the final World Cup in addition they exited within the group stage, and even regionally in Concacaf, Mexico are second in line to the U.S. males’s nationwide staff after dropping March’s Nations League closing.
Lozano’s gamble remains to be in play, although.
If a spot within the knockout spherical is claimed, it could be a large confidence enhance for a roster that’s trying to maneuver on from its veteran figures. Regardless of among the questions concerning how Mexican soccer is being run, a spot within the closing eight would spotlight that El Tri nonetheless have the uncooked expertise to achieve the Copa, all whereas gaining invaluable expertise alongside the way in which.
Most significantly, it could even be an indication that Lozano is transferring issues in the appropriate path as he is making ready for 2026.
“No doubt, definitely, in fact,” Lozano stated final week when requested if the Copa was his greatest problem as supervisor. “A Copa América is unquestionably only a step beneath a World Cup.”