Sigh of relief

Last update 6 April, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

As the National Team, Mexican tournament is paused, an incredible break just over three weeks to dispute the final, by the stupidity of leaders who do not fully dimensioned American involvement in the Club World Cup, which has recently been held in Japan, and he has now forced to extend the suspense to meet the champion of the Apertura 2016.

This allows to evaluate the start of the tricolor combined to Russia 2018, el cual, against all odds and despite the omens black, It started positively, Hexagonal qualifier within the CONCACAF (North Confederation, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), as it was away to beat United States (1-2) and a draw against Panama (0-0).

With the "ghost" of 0-7 against Chile in Copa America Centenario still fresh in the memory of fans and journalists and even surely the players, technical and federativos- body, and the constant criticism of coach Juan Carlos Osorio by the continuous rotation of elements in its lineup, with doubts that measure generates, illusions of taking points in both outings were practically nonexistent.

If to this is added a history that in the last two World Cup qualifiers the tricolor team has been to classify, in an area that was considered "lord and master" for decades (remembering that for Brazil 2014 He earned their ticket via the play-off against New Zealand), the picture was dark.

And that the record of the Colombian coach in front of the Tricolor (since its introduction 14 de octubre de 2015) is positive, and even he achieved a streak 10 undefeated matches (nine wins and a draw), thus breaking the previous mark of consecutive games without losing the national team (21 parties, conseguida en 2005 por Ricardo Antonio La Volpe), and also he received a goal in the first seven games, thus he sets a record of 806 scoreless minutes against.

Before the first qualifying games against E.U. and Panama, Osorio had directed 15 duels, with watermark 13 victories, one draw and one defeat (precisely the shameful goliza against Chile), so their numbers were not all bad. Sin embargo, were other details that overshadowed its outlook as the national bench owner.

What most apart from the mentioned insistence on changing criticized players in the 11 initial of a party to side was the attitude of most of the elements that played the 18 de junio, Santa Clara, California, before the champion of the Copa America. For as a footballing phrase says, "On the court you have to die of something", and that afternoon was too much apathy from basic pieces concerned not only at the stage of Colombian, but above processes, as Andrés Saved, Hector Herrera, Hector Moreno, Miguel Layún and Jesús Corona (all participants in European leagues), which he led to the Mexican national team to receive a whopping four touchdowns in a span of just 13 minutos.

Anodyne, peevish, unanswered, Mexicans did not see yours especially in the second half, when Chileans organized almost a carnival with the ball, and if they did not get more goals it was because they took the foot off the accelerator and saved energy for the semi-final.

Red and destroyed not only the unbeaten record 22 Tricolor parties, but the image of superiority and invincibility that had been built for almost half a year with commanding Osorio, and he began making will rest on the breast of the Aztec combined two separate gray clouds of uncertainty and doubt.

This was particularly important for out "live" Columbus, a US customs office where Mexico had fallen by identical marker 2-0 in the above three processes premundialistas (2006, 2010 y 2014). The cold and lack of Latino population in general and Mexico in particular, They made this city an impregnable fortress and led to presage a new defeat.

Sin embargo, with good individual performances and collective sense, Osorio box stood in the "Mapfre Stadium"Personality and although he suffered at times, almost last minute with Rafael Marquez both managed to get the win. Just it is meaning that the opponent was the United States grayer and uncertain in recent 20 años, that even the home advantage helped him to not be dominated by rivals.

Después, He was "negotiated" a goalless draw against Panama, combined it considered that it was not worth required before the visitor in order to get a point, and as this would not risk, The result was a soporific match and on the brink of yawning.

Osorio did not want to leave anything to chance and reached its entire "European cavalry" (de 25 summoned, 13 Playing in the Old Continent), so for the match at Columbus he came to have headlines and suplentes- among an impressive deck of elements with offensive features: Giovani Dos Santos, Oribe Peralta, Javier Hernandez, José Manuel Corona, Carlos Vela, Raul Jimenez, Marco Fabian, Javier Aquino, Orbelin Pineda, and the young revelation of the local tournament, Hirving "Chucky" Lozano.

Obviously, though not revealed publicly Mexican leaders may have influenced the Colombian helmsman on the obligation to take at least four points on both outputs, and so he decided to put all the meat on the grill with the best with that account. Al final, four was the number of units harvested, although victory came in Columbus and not in Panama City, as might be initially budgeted.

Mexico can no longer afford a third failed eliminator, though not because it is said before the microphones that the Aztecs managers care more about the economic part that sports, and they do not want to lose the "goose that lays golden eggs", in each mundialista process leaves millions in profits and not in pesos, but in dollars.

Just to give an idea of ​​the risks incurred by poor performance futbolera, describe the big bucks worth it is at stake: global income for coffers tricolor selected in a World cycle are about 260 millones de dólares. But almost triple that figure (640 mdd) It is lost so it would raise through various channels if not classified to Russia 2018.

Is so voluble commercial mantle that surrounds football, while two and a half years ago, Brazil in the World 2014, Mexican National Team had a brand value 47 millions of euros, round today 60 mde; that is to say, en 30 months has increased its contribution in 13 mde.

Por ello, excursion to E.U. and Panama meant in the end, for all, a sigh of deep and profound relief ...