It has been a wild 48 hours in Mexican Football. On one hand, El Tri completed their objective and won the Gold Cup. On the other hand, their coach had an “altercation with a reporter” and is no longer their coach. Just another couple of days in the world of Mexican football. So where does Mexico go from here?
Hire your 2018 WC coach
No more temporary solutions or 1 game contracts. If this means waiting a couple of weeks to hire a coach you can actually see leading Mexico into 2018, then so be it. Mexico cannot go through another WCQ like the last one, shuffling through coaching staffs. It nearly derailed them into missing Brazil. The Federation needs to take their time hiring a coach and yes, I know the playoff is just over 2 months away. In the grand scheme of things, the Confederations Cup is not the end all be all the media/fans make it out to be. So I would rather Mexico make the correct hire and miss the Confed Cup than quickly hire a retread coach, make Confed Cup then have to make a coaching change halfway through WCQ. The US has only had 3 different national team coaches since 1999, Mexico has had 14 (going on 15 soon). Maybe Mexico would benefit from some stability rather than experiencing this never ending coaching carousel. Another aspect to consider, is the players themselves. They loved playing for Piojo and getting input from at least, the captain could go a long way towards a smooth transition for the new coach. Considering firing Piojo was made without any input from the players or at least letting them know of the decision, talking to the players will help the hiring process more than ignoring them.
Incorporate More Youth National Players…After 2016 Olympic Qualifying Is Secured
Mexico should start incorporating more players from their successful youth national teams but not at the expense of qualifying for 2016 Olympics. The Olympics provide another high profile international tournament for their young stars to develop into viable senior Internationals. The 2012 Olympics helped bridge the gap for many current senior internationals and it helped some secure moves abroad. El Tri has a chance to defend their Olympic Gold from 2012. But once qualifying is secured, throw in some of the youngsters with the veterans to see who rises to the top. You can’t tell me you did not want to see Carlos Salcedo out there instead of Maza losing mark after mark?
Use September Friendlies to Prepare
October 9th is but one FIFA Match date away. The USMNT has already scheduled 2 home September friendlies against Brazil and Peru. They are making sure they are prepared. Mexico needs to use their September friendlies ( T&T, Argentina) to install their (new) game plan against the Americans. Especially with a new coach coming in, this will be his one chance to use his new players. I wonder if LigaMX owners will allow for a longer camp and release players early for the September friendlies.
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