Has Mexico's time finally arrived?

That’s the question doing the rounds in Mexico as the minutes tick down to Sunday’s big game with Argentina.

Two strains of thought prevail.

Some look at the game against Argentina through the lens of fatalism that tends to define Mexico’s psyche (see post from yesterday about Rafa Marquez) and say the national team is destined to lose, like four years ago when Maxi Rodriguez broke Mexican hearts in extra time at the same stage of the competition.

But another, far more positive theory is gaining ground.

The optimists argue that 2010 is Mexico’s year, when the nation marks the 200th anniversary of its independence from Spain, as well as the bicentennial of its bloodthirsty revolution that threw up heroes like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Something is supposed to happen this year. Will it be football related? Revenge against Argentina perhaps?

What is certain is that Mexico will need to play at the highest level to be victorious. The key men will be holding midfielders Rafael Marquez and Gerardo Torrado, whose task will be to break up Argentina’s intricate passing game. Both have experience on their side, Marquez knows Messi inside out and both will want to end their international careers on a high.

The other major debate is who should play up front. Argentine-born Mexican Guillermo Franco isn’t cutting it and most fans are calling for Manchester United new boy Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez to start.

Chicharito has become the ‘golden boy’ of the ‘golden generation’ of Mexican youngsters. In 1998, a fresh-faced Michael Owen scored a wonder goal against Argentina in the same round. Millions of Mexicans are praying Chicharito can do the same.

Probable starting line-up: Perez, Osorio, Moreno, Rodriguez, Salcido, Marquez, Giovani, Juarez/Guardado, Torrado, Vela/Barrera, Franco/Chicharito.

If pressed: Juarez, Barrera, Franco to start based on what Aguirre has done so far and his stubbornness! Vela depends on his fitness.