The curious case of Andres Guardado

Much of the talk this week on the long TV shows debating the Mexican team in the World Cup has been whether Chicharito will start in place of Guillermo Franco. The latest is that most pundits are thinking it will be Franco again.

But not far behind in talk time is the case of Andres Guardado, the Guadalajara tearaway that set aside family problems in his youth and rose through the ranks of Mexican football like a hot knife through butter.

Guardado himself admits he didn't take football too seriously until he was 15 and living with his brother but after he did, everything seemed to come easy for the curly haired left-footer.

After making his professional debut for Guadalajara club Atlas aged 18 in August 2005, Guardado enjoyed a wirlwind year.

Four months later, in December, he found himself in the Mexico squad to face Hungary. He then became the surprise choice in Ricardo La Volpe's Mexico squad for the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

La Volpe picked Guardado to make his World Cup debut against Argentina in the Round of 16. In 12 months Guardado had gone from a youth prospect waiting his chance at Atlas to starting in the World Cup knockout stages.

European clubs sniffed around. Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven were thought to be front of the queue but Atlas held out and eventually sold Guardado to Deportivo La Coruña of Spain for a reported 7 million Euros in 2007.

Back at Atlas he was handed a special award and given his own sendoff game.

Since then Guardado, who has nicknames like "the little prince" and "the wonderkid" and married his local Guadalajara sweetheart before the Germany World Cup, has gone on to play in the UEFA Cup, has become one of Deportivo's best players and has been a regular for Mexico ever since. The downside has been a couple of injuries, but none that serious.

So what has happened? Why didn't he start against South Africa?

The 4-3-3 formation Mexico played doesn't help. Guardado is most comfortable on the left of midfield in a 4-4-2, but that can't explain everything.

Fast, determined and blessed with the quality that has got him some interest from clubs in the Premier League and Germany, Guardado must start for Mexico.

If Aguirre starts with a 4-3-3, then put him on the left of the forward 3 in place of Vela. Vela has not exactly shone in the friendlies and failed too in the game against South Africa. Since leaving the other Guadalajara team, Chivas, for Arsenal, he's hardly played.

Who set up the Mexican goal against South Africa with a quality ball in?

In Guardado, Mexico have a young, experienced player who isn't flustered by big games and pressure. It would be a waste not to start him against France.