In June 2018, Mexico was chosen to host the World Cup alongside america and Canada. The announcement got here on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the place Mexico did not qualify for the second spherical for the primary time since 1978.
The choice to host the World Cup was not a shock both, because the rival host was Morocco, which was defeated 134-65. Briefly, Mexico already knew very effectively that it was going to win the title to hitch Canada and america within the 2026 World Cup.
There was loads of time to arrange, however at present, two summers away from the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican nationwide staff didn’t qualify for the second spherical of the Copa América, a very powerful event through which Mexico might compete earlier than the World Cup.
The Mexican nationwide staff has had 4 main failures within the final two years: failing to qualify for the second spherical of Qatar 2022, failing to win the Nations League in opposition to america on two events (2023 and 2024) and failing within the 2024 Copa América.
For the reason that announcement of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico has misplaced 4 years in a course of with Gerardo Martino that produced little or no, and one other half 12 months with Diego Cocca, two-time champion with Atlas and fired after the defeat in opposition to america within the 2023 Nations League.
Lozano, with little or no expertise on the membership stage with Querétaro and Necaxa, and relationship with nationwide staff gamers from his time on the Olympic staff, was chosen as interim coach, although he and his teaching workers weren’t essentially the most ready to guide the Mexican nationwide staff. It might be mentioned that Lozano had two slight triumphs, the Olympic bronze medal in 2021 and the 2023 Gold Cup, however nothing compares to having the strain of the Mexican nationwide staff, recognized extra for its poisonous atmosphere than for sporting successes.
Since Juan Carlos Osorio left Mexico in 2018, the Mexican nationwide staff gained the Gold Cup below Martino in 2019, however after that, Mexico has been in a disaster atmosphere. We should not neglect that below Osorio himself, Mexico additionally didn’t carry out effectively within the 2016 Copa América Centenario and in 2014 was on the verge of not going to the World Cup.
A Mexican fan celebrates through the 0-0 draw in opposition to Ecuador throughout Group B of the Copa America, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Picture/Matt York)
(Matt York / Related Press)
Mexico’s important drawback during the last 30 years is the shortage of sports activities planning, which is one thing that’s wanted to have better possibilities of success on the nationwide staff stage.
To start with, a soccer staff will depend on the standard of its gamers. International locations like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, the perfect Copa America groups, are nations which have as their soccer and enterprise mannequin sending gamers overseas. Their gamers to migrate in dozens to Europe and a number of other of them are protagonists in the primary groups of the Previous Continent and in high quality leagues.
In Mexico, the enterprise mannequin for the main soccer groups, America, Cruz Azul, Monterrey and Tigres, is to win championships, no matter the associated fee, by hiring foreigners on the bench and on the sphere. In Mexico, international gamers are labeled as Mexican-Fashioned and Non-Mexican-Fashioned. Presently, 9 registered Non-Mexican-Fashioned gamers are allowed, of which seven can play on the similar time in a match.
Mexico’s head coach Jaime Lozano, left, offers directions to Erick Sanchez throughout a Copa America Group B soccer match in opposition to Ecuador, in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Picture/Rick Scuteri)
(Rick Scuteri / Related Press)
The variety of international gamers in Mexico is just not a assure of high quality, however they’re cheaper than the overrated Mexican gamers. In different phrases, for a supervisor who desires to win championships, it’s extra sensible and economical to purchase 4 South American gamers than one Mexican, so it’s also in your curiosity to advocate for Liga MX guidelines that facilitate the arrival of extra foreigners to Mexico. This method has triggered “massive” groups, which used to provide high quality Mexican gamers and win titles, similar to Pumas and Chivas, to cease producing distinctive gamers, a lot much less win titles.
In line with a research carried out by Mediotiempo, 160 international gamers have been registered within the final event, of which 45.6% performed lower than half of all obtainable minutes within the common event. Round three out of 9 international gamers have been important in minutes performed with their groups.
With seven international gamers on the sphere per staff, and a number of other Mexican gamers of little high quality to play within the Mexican nationwide staff, along with only a few Mexicans taking part in in Europe, it’s mathematically inconceivable to kind staff, whether or not below the course of Osorio, Martino, Cocca or Lozano.
Added to all that is the shortage of competitiveness, with the elimination of promotion and relegation in Mexico and the absence of membership and nationwide staff tournaments that provide quite a lot of expertise, such because the Copa Libertadores and the Copa América.
As a substitute, staff homeowners in Mexico have made the choice to search for extra {dollars} in america, the place they have already got a profitable enterprise of pleasant matches with the Mexican nationwide staff, and have given help to tasks targeted on acquiring giant financial advantages such because the Leagues Cup, and the pointless League of Nations. A lot concentrate on the enterprise facet has taken the eyes away for a few years from the sporting facet and from one thing that no one appears to care about.
After the failure within the Nations League in 2023, a place of Government President of the Mexican Soccer Federation was established, in addition to a Commissioner, who have been to have the authority to alter varied elements of the Mexican soccer system, however who’ve been capable of do little within the face of the actual energy that the staff homeowners have. It have to be clarified that many of those homeowners usually are not the perfect buddies both and a few of them know easy methods to do enterprise, however they aren’t soccer individuals.
By selecting Lozano as coach in 2023 after successful the Gold Cup, plainly it was a call based mostly on that second of emotion and never on Jaime’s deserves as a coach. Since Lozano’s arrival to the nationwide staff, the FMF has used a number of questionable phrases for this course of similar to “transition”, “renewal” and “empowerment” when in actuality there is no such thing as a uncooked materials to make this renewal organically, nor do these processes appear to have the endorsement of all of the staff homeowners.
Two years earlier than the World Cup and after leaving the Copa América after three video games through which one objective was scored and one other conceded, the FMF should determine whether or not to stay with its weapons and search a course of that should lengthen past the 2026 World Cup. The followers, media and federations of Mexican soccer have to be sincere with themselves and settle for that no matter they do, they aren’t going to provide distinctive soccer gamers within the subsequent two years. What they’ve is what they’ll have in 2026. Gamers like Marcelo Flores, who didn’t play a single minute within the Copa América, or Santi Giménez usually are not going to guide Mexico to a World Cup ultimate.
The one factor the Mexican staff can hope for is to keep away from making a idiot of itself in two years and rethink whether or not the long-term course of, past 2026, must be with Lozano or not.
“I’ll make a report, that’s not my determination,” mentioned Lozano after the elimination in Glendale. “We noticed gamers who haven’t all the time been starters. These gamers left style in my mouth, in two years they will have vital progress and above all, vital progress.”
Lozano has mentioned that below his course of, the nationwide staff has improved defensively, though it conceded three targets in opposition to Brazil and 4 in opposition to Uruguay in pleasant matches previous to the Copa America and just one within the event. Nevertheless, it additionally solely scored one objective in three matches.
“We’ve got to be satisfied that that is the best way ahead if we wish various things,” mentioned Lozano, who defended his course of by saying that his staff is attempting to have an identification and a method of play.
Dulio Davino, the nationwide staff’s sports activities director, needed to go to the press convention with Lozano, however on account of Conmebol laws, he was not allowed to. Within the combined zone in Arizona, he confirmed Lozano as Mexico’s technical director.
“Younger individuals who didn’t take part did take part,” mentioned Davino. “This Cup hurts us, however there are some very constructive issues. The objective of qualifying was not achieved, however different issues have been achieved and we should construct on that.”
Primarily based on historical past, Lozano will quickly cease being the nationwide staff’s coach and a “firefighter” might be searched for the 2026 World Cup, whether or not it’s Javier Aguirre, Guillermo Almada or André Jardine. Historical past additionally says that it does not matter who the coach is when you do not have the uncooked materials, or a course of to kind that uncooked materials.
Mexico, like many different groups on the planet, has many issues and there’s no single resolution to have the ability to put collectively a staff that wins tournaments. Within the case of Mexico, the issues are many as a result of they’re deep-rooted and structural, however the resolution is usually the only and within the case of the Mexican staff, the issue lies within the lack of alternatives for Mexican footballers and the variety of foreigners within the Liga MX, in addition to the absence of a improvement path for Mexican gamers to to migrate to Europe.
