Mexican Soccer fans wanted to crawl under a rock and hide after a 3-1 thrashing by the Catrachos of Honduras. Despite Marquez and Osorio' inclusion in the back line, Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, the target of current criticism and speculation, fielded an interesting starting Xl against Honduras. The surprising exclusion of Magallon proved El Tri's down fall, falling victim to the size and speed of the Honduran's forward pairing of Costly and Pavon.
What was even more interesting, was Fernando Arce's omission when veteran leadership and experience could have provided additional stability to a Mexican side playing in a hostile environment. Since Rafa Marquez was placed on M.I.A. by FIFA, Mexico's defense was poised to struggle, and the speculation of Eriksson'sdismissal would emanate throughout Mexico and CONCACAF.
This soccer video features highlights of Honduras' victory against Mexico 3-1.
During the writing of this piece, it was announced that Sven Goran Eriksson was dismissed for El Tri's poor performances over his tenure. His dismissal indicates that Javier Aguirre will replace the Swedish coach in hopes of restoring Mexico's status in the CONCACAF.
With the lack of stability from a coaching and training perspective, Mexico could suffer from the implementation of new tactics and strategies. Although a coaching change will inject excitement for the upcoming qualifiers, El Tri might struggle because of the new roles that the player will assume and the learning curve involved. It is notable that the CONCACAF has improved steadily over the years while Mexico's lack of chemistry and poor play exacerbate the perception that Mexican Soccer is spiraling out-of-control.
The Mexican Federation must recognize that the CONCACAF poses a threat that Mexico has never confronted during their history in CONCACAF. For Mexico to improve their position, they must admit that the improved talent level and competition proves that parity exists in the CONCACAF. Suiting up in El Tricolor will not guarantee victories as was the case in previous epochs.
Mexico's player pool still boasts one of the deepest in CONCACAf, and the Federation hopes that the new coach will infuse chemistry and a dynamic that will propel Mexico to the pinnacle of success in CONCACAF and South Africa. Patience could have proven to be a virtue for El Tri, but with the mounting pressure and the recent lackluster performances, the Mexican Federation opined that the move was necessary for qualification and a good showing at the 2010 World Cup.
What are your thoughts of El Tri's performance? Are you disappointed with Sven's dismissal? Will you enjoy seeing Sven on Setanta with the Special One? What are you thoughts?
Included are blogs that discuss Mexican Soccer: Will he stay or will he go? The Sven Watch and the latest soccer news
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