It’s official. Javier Hernandez Balcazar has won over United fans the world over. The vote for October’s player of the month proves it, as do the sombreros outside Old Trafford and the amount of fans with “Chicharito” on the back of their shirt.
On Wednesday though, the boy from Guadalajara, Mexico has the chance to bring the mutual love up to another level altogether, especially for United fans born and bred around Manchester.
With Wayne Rooney still out of action and Dimitar Berbatov doubtful for Wednesday’s big game against Manchester City, the job of leading the United line is likely to fall to Chicharito.
Hernandez has played derbies before and the rivalry between former club Chivas and Atlas in his home town is intense. However, it pales in comparison to Wednesday’s game when the eyes of the world will be on Manchester, and Chicharito. A packed house, freezing weather and a level of pure hatred coming from the City fans that he will never have witnessed, the Manchester derby is a further test of Chicharito’s thus far impeccable character.
We’ll see Wednesday how he fares but what better way to put the cherry on the cake of his exceptional start at United than a goal or two to shut up United’s rich neighbours? And how nice it would be for United fans to see the Mexican steal the headlines from Carlitos Tevez, a fellow Latin American that used to be a United favourite and is now City’s leading light.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Hugo Sanchez on Mexican national team
Select quotes from fifa.com:
A few months on from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, what’s your view on the current state of Mexican football?
We’re still not good enough to harbour hopes of winning a Copa America or a World Cup. Mexico are not yet ready to challenge the dominance of the likes of Brazil or Argentina. We started to show we were capable of going toe-to-toe with them back in 1993, but we haven’t taken the decisive step yet. I think that El Tri’s rightful place is as Las Americas' third-best team. Quite simply, the number of Mexican players at big clubs just doesn’t compare with those countries.
Do you think Mexico are in the process of narrowing that gap?
The results suggest not. I think the players have enough talent, but what often happens in Mexico is that other things are allowed to get in the way and slow the progress of our country’s football. Head coaches should be supported and backing should be given to the players, that’s what really matters. Without that, I think it [narrowing the gap] will be a real struggle. You can’t demand good performances if the set-up isn’t right.
El Tri are set to begin a new era under a new coach, Jose Manuel De La Torre. What needs to happen for this period to be a successful one?
I’ve always said that coaching cycles should be allowed to be brought to completion and that coaches need to be left to get on with the job. What happened to me was that I made the mistake of agreeing to coach the Olympic squad (Sanchez was sacked following Mexico's failure to qualify for Beijing 2008), which meant all the good work we’d been doing with the senior team was undone. The circumstances will be different now, but if people want results then coaches need to be allowed to get on with the job.
What can you tell us about the latest crop of Mexican footballers plying their trade in Europe?
I like their talent and their quality but, and I repeat, I think they need to be protected. They have what it takes to succeed but too much pressure is put on them, too much is expected of them, and they’re criticised too much. They’re very young players and the way they’re treated in our country makes them prefer to stay with their clubs rather than travel to play for the national team.
There are those that say Javier 'El Chicharito' Hernandez is the best striker to come out of Mexico since your good self. Would you agree?
Of course, you just have to look at the team he’s signed for. It’s not just anybody who earns a transfer to Manchester United at that age. I think he’s in the most favourable environment possible but watch out, he shouldn’t be compared to anybody because that’ll burden him with unnecessary responsibilities. Since we’ve not got many players with exceptional talent, we’ve got to look after them.
What advice would you give to these young Europe-based players?
They should be brave and not rest on their laurels. It was already tough for them to leave Mexico and come to Europe but they must understand that you have to maintain that level of effort. You don’t get too many opportunities like that in life and they’ve made the most of theirs, but they shouldn’t lose heart. If they’re patient, the results will come.
How do you think Mexico fared at South Africa 2010?
Well, it went the same as it always does. When I was appointed national-team coach I said that if we wanted to become world champions we needed to work as a team, with players, directors and journalists all pulling in the same direction. But that didn’t happen and there have been countless coaching changes. And while that’s good enough to see us in a mid-table position, between tenth and 20th in the world, I think that if there’d been continuity then we would have done as well as Uruguay did.
Do you feel like Mexico are no longer the dominant force in the CONCACAF region?
Not at all, the statistics are clear and the history books don’t lie. Only when the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras or Guatemala have appeared at more World Cups than Mexico or have historically got better results than we have will I think they’re on the same level. Form comes and goes, but you don’t build up that kind of prestige in a couple of years, not even in ten.
Would you be willing to retake the Mexico reins at some point in the future?
Of course! I could never refuse my country anything. When they need me, I’ll be there.
A few months on from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, what’s your view on the current state of Mexican football?
We’re still not good enough to harbour hopes of winning a Copa America or a World Cup. Mexico are not yet ready to challenge the dominance of the likes of Brazil or Argentina. We started to show we were capable of going toe-to-toe with them back in 1993, but we haven’t taken the decisive step yet. I think that El Tri’s rightful place is as Las Americas' third-best team. Quite simply, the number of Mexican players at big clubs just doesn’t compare with those countries.
Do you think Mexico are in the process of narrowing that gap?
The results suggest not. I think the players have enough talent, but what often happens in Mexico is that other things are allowed to get in the way and slow the progress of our country’s football. Head coaches should be supported and backing should be given to the players, that’s what really matters. Without that, I think it [narrowing the gap] will be a real struggle. You can’t demand good performances if the set-up isn’t right.
El Tri are set to begin a new era under a new coach, Jose Manuel De La Torre. What needs to happen for this period to be a successful one?
I’ve always said that coaching cycles should be allowed to be brought to completion and that coaches need to be left to get on with the job. What happened to me was that I made the mistake of agreeing to coach the Olympic squad (Sanchez was sacked following Mexico's failure to qualify for Beijing 2008), which meant all the good work we’d been doing with the senior team was undone. The circumstances will be different now, but if people want results then coaches need to be allowed to get on with the job.
What can you tell us about the latest crop of Mexican footballers plying their trade in Europe?
I like their talent and their quality but, and I repeat, I think they need to be protected. They have what it takes to succeed but too much pressure is put on them, too much is expected of them, and they’re criticised too much. They’re very young players and the way they’re treated in our country makes them prefer to stay with their clubs rather than travel to play for the national team.
There are those that say Javier 'El Chicharito' Hernandez is the best striker to come out of Mexico since your good self. Would you agree?
Of course, you just have to look at the team he’s signed for. It’s not just anybody who earns a transfer to Manchester United at that age. I think he’s in the most favourable environment possible but watch out, he shouldn’t be compared to anybody because that’ll burden him with unnecessary responsibilities. Since we’ve not got many players with exceptional talent, we’ve got to look after them.
What advice would you give to these young Europe-based players?
They should be brave and not rest on their laurels. It was already tough for them to leave Mexico and come to Europe but they must understand that you have to maintain that level of effort. You don’t get too many opportunities like that in life and they’ve made the most of theirs, but they shouldn’t lose heart. If they’re patient, the results will come.
How do you think Mexico fared at South Africa 2010?
Well, it went the same as it always does. When I was appointed national-team coach I said that if we wanted to become world champions we needed to work as a team, with players, directors and journalists all pulling in the same direction. But that didn’t happen and there have been countless coaching changes. And while that’s good enough to see us in a mid-table position, between tenth and 20th in the world, I think that if there’d been continuity then we would have done as well as Uruguay did.
Do you feel like Mexico are no longer the dominant force in the CONCACAF region?
Not at all, the statistics are clear and the history books don’t lie. Only when the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras or Guatemala have appeared at more World Cups than Mexico or have historically got better results than we have will I think they’re on the same level. Form comes and goes, but you don’t build up that kind of prestige in a couple of years, not even in ten.
Would you be willing to retake the Mexico reins at some point in the future?
Of course! I could never refuse my country anything. When they need me, I’ll be there.
Mexican league begins to boil
Talk of reverting back to a regular year long league like in Europe is emanating for certain Mexican club directors. The crux of the matter is whether interest in the league can be maintained year round and if clubs’ substantial incomes from television rights would be reduced.
The debate lingers about the justice of a team finishing fourth or fifth in the general league and going on to win the championship but when push comes to shove, the race to get into the postseason playoffs in the Mexican Primera Division brings a certain buzz.
With only two games left, candidates are being whittled down and every point is vital to get into what Mexican commentators call the “big party.”
There’s no doubt on paper which game in the Mexican Primera Division stands out this weekend: Guadalajara Chivas v Cruz Azul.
Although Chivas are the most decorated team in Mexican soccer, it is “born great” Cruz Azul that are the dominant force this season and have scored 32 goals in 15 games while amassing 35 points. In stark contrast, Chivas have only scored 13 goals in their 15 games so far in the Apertura 2010, pointing to a clear flaw in their striking department following the departure of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to Manchester United.
If Chivas fail to get the three points, remote dreams of qualification for the playoffs are thrown out the window. The players, coaches and owner Jorge Vergara will face a long winter contemplating how they are to get themselves out of their current rut. However, they may be aided Saturday by suggestions that Cruz Azul, already qualified for the playoffs, may field a weakened team to give crucial players a rest.
Fans at the new Estadio Omnilife are likely to lose out and attendance is likely to be way below the norm for a fixture between two of Mexico’s big clubs.
Apart from Cruz Azul’s prolific attack (Argentines Emanuel Villa and Chaco Gimenez alongside Mexican youngster Javier “Chuletita” in particular), look out for shaven-headed Chivas midfielder Jorge “Chaton” Enrique. Word is that the tall 19-year-old is destined for great things.
Who qualifies?
The Mexican Primera Division is split into three groups. The top two teams in each group go through to the liguilla (playoffs) while the two other teams are made up of the next best-placed teams in the general table.
Who needs what this weekend?
Saturday’s games:
Estudiantes UAG v Toluca (8:10 p.m.)
Estudiantes sit bottom of the general table and have nothing to play for while Toluca are in the thick of the action. A Toluca win could book their ticket (depending on other results) while a tie or defeat leaves them needing a result next weekend against Atlante.
Jaguares de Chiapas v Atlas (5 p.m.)
Four points from the remaining two games and Jaguares progress. Atlas have had a campaign to forget and are looking over their shoulder at possible relegation.
San Luis Potosi v Santos Laguna (5 p.m.)
Santos are already through to the playoffs while SLP need just a point to guarantee their place. Most likely result: 0-0.
Chivas v Cruz Azul (7 p.m.)
The team from Guadalajara need a minor miracle. Three points would be a start while they pray other results go their way. Cruz Azul are sitting pretty having already qualified.
Pachuca v Queretaro (7 p.m.)
Both teams need to win both their remaining games to have a chance. This game is like an early playoff. The loser is effectively eliminated.
Tigres UANL v Morelia (7 p.m.)
One point should be enough to put one of the Tigres’ feet into the liguilla. Morelia have a mathematical chance of qualification but it would be a minor miracle.
Atlante v America (9 p.m.)
America can book their place with a victory while Atlante have little but pride to play for.
Sunday’s games:
Pumas v Necaxa (midday)
Pumas need a victory to retain hope of qualifying while Necaxa, based in Aguascalientes, have no hope at all.
Puebla v Monterrey (midday)
A real dead rubber of a game. Puebla can’t make the playoffs and Monterrey have already made it.
All times are Mexico City based.
Betting tips: Toluca are the reigning champions in Mexico but have failed to recapture their form in the Apertura 2010. Don’t let that put you off them though. Toluca are known for doing what it takes to get into the playoffs where they tend to convert themselves into shrewd knockout competition experts. Players and fans alike will want to give coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre a good send off before he takes charge of the national team in January.
The debate lingers about the justice of a team finishing fourth or fifth in the general league and going on to win the championship but when push comes to shove, the race to get into the postseason playoffs in the Mexican Primera Division brings a certain buzz.
With only two games left, candidates are being whittled down and every point is vital to get into what Mexican commentators call the “big party.”
There’s no doubt on paper which game in the Mexican Primera Division stands out this weekend: Guadalajara Chivas v Cruz Azul.
Although Chivas are the most decorated team in Mexican soccer, it is “born great” Cruz Azul that are the dominant force this season and have scored 32 goals in 15 games while amassing 35 points. In stark contrast, Chivas have only scored 13 goals in their 15 games so far in the Apertura 2010, pointing to a clear flaw in their striking department following the departure of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to Manchester United.
If Chivas fail to get the three points, remote dreams of qualification for the playoffs are thrown out the window. The players, coaches and owner Jorge Vergara will face a long winter contemplating how they are to get themselves out of their current rut. However, they may be aided Saturday by suggestions that Cruz Azul, already qualified for the playoffs, may field a weakened team to give crucial players a rest.
Fans at the new Estadio Omnilife are likely to lose out and attendance is likely to be way below the norm for a fixture between two of Mexico’s big clubs.
Apart from Cruz Azul’s prolific attack (Argentines Emanuel Villa and Chaco Gimenez alongside Mexican youngster Javier “Chuletita” in particular), look out for shaven-headed Chivas midfielder Jorge “Chaton” Enrique. Word is that the tall 19-year-old is destined for great things.
Who qualifies?
The Mexican Primera Division is split into three groups. The top two teams in each group go through to the liguilla (playoffs) while the two other teams are made up of the next best-placed teams in the general table.
Who needs what this weekend?
Saturday’s games:
Estudiantes UAG v Toluca (8:10 p.m.)
Estudiantes sit bottom of the general table and have nothing to play for while Toluca are in the thick of the action. A Toluca win could book their ticket (depending on other results) while a tie or defeat leaves them needing a result next weekend against Atlante.
Jaguares de Chiapas v Atlas (5 p.m.)
Four points from the remaining two games and Jaguares progress. Atlas have had a campaign to forget and are looking over their shoulder at possible relegation.
San Luis Potosi v Santos Laguna (5 p.m.)
Santos are already through to the playoffs while SLP need just a point to guarantee their place. Most likely result: 0-0.
Chivas v Cruz Azul (7 p.m.)
The team from Guadalajara need a minor miracle. Three points would be a start while they pray other results go their way. Cruz Azul are sitting pretty having already qualified.
Pachuca v Queretaro (7 p.m.)
Both teams need to win both their remaining games to have a chance. This game is like an early playoff. The loser is effectively eliminated.
Tigres UANL v Morelia (7 p.m.)
One point should be enough to put one of the Tigres’ feet into the liguilla. Morelia have a mathematical chance of qualification but it would be a minor miracle.
Atlante v America (9 p.m.)
America can book their place with a victory while Atlante have little but pride to play for.
Sunday’s games:
Pumas v Necaxa (midday)
Pumas need a victory to retain hope of qualifying while Necaxa, based in Aguascalientes, have no hope at all.
Puebla v Monterrey (midday)
A real dead rubber of a game. Puebla can’t make the playoffs and Monterrey have already made it.
All times are Mexico City based.
Betting tips: Toluca are the reigning champions in Mexico but have failed to recapture their form in the Apertura 2010. Don’t let that put you off them though. Toluca are known for doing what it takes to get into the playoffs where they tend to convert themselves into shrewd knockout competition experts. Players and fans alike will want to give coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre a good send off before he takes charge of the national team in January.
Time for change at Guadalajara Chivas?
Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has stolen headlines following his match-winning goals against Stoke on Sunday and Wolves on Tuesday but things aren’t so rosy back at his old club Guadalajara Chivas.
Sunday’s “clasico of the clasicos” against bitter capital city rivals America ended 0-0, the second half of which was at times exasperating to watch.
The clash pits the all-Mexican, provincial “people’s club” from second city Guadalajara against Mexico City’s America, whose name alone alludes to intentions of grandeur. America spend big on players, flaunt their wealth and their fans are proud of it. Chivas, thanks to an era of domination called the campeonisimo in the late 1950s and 1960s, lead America eleven to ten in the overall title count but both clubs currently find themselves in a slump.
The Mexican sports press was ferocious in building the game up, suggesting the clubs owed the fans a true classic after recent mediocrity and scandal in the national team.
After 90 minutes, boos rang out and the game only served to highlight how both clubs now have some thinking to do in terms of how they can compete on the pitch, not just commercially, with Mexico’s new elite: Monterrey, Cruz Azul, Toluca, Santos Laguna.
Of the two giants of the Mexican though, it’s Chivas who are very much in flux.
Fans are almost unanimously against club owner Jorge Vergara, who bought the club in 2002 and said he would make it into one of the biggest in the world.
“On paper the project is fine but in practice it’s not that easy,” says Chivas fan Luis from Mexico City before Sunday’s game. “Where’s the money going to come from?”
Chivas fans dancing, singing and drinking in a Mexico City park before making their way to the Azteca hid a shared concern about the future of the club.
“I’ll tell you, none of us like Vergara,” says Carlos of Guadalajara’s Legion 1908 fan group. “You go round the park and ask people what they think of him.”
A major problem for Chivas fans in Guadalajara this year has been the new Omnilife Stadium.
“It’s an amazing stadium, incredible but the prices are too high and we can’t get there easily,” says Jorge, who was one of those to make the trip from Guadalajara to Mexico City on Sunday.
Hardcore fans like Jorge and Carlos go to the new stadium every home game, but thousands have been put off.
The Estadio Omnilife is like a modern European stadium, set on the edge of the city. It is genuinely impressive. The problem is that Mexicans can’t pay Western European costs and most people simply can’t afford to pay the ticket prices plus transport to the stadium and then the food and beer inside the stadium. In comparison to the vast majority of Mexican stadia, there are no independent vendors outside; meaning Vergara has a monopoly on food, booze and merchandise.
Vergara laughs it off and says the stadium has been a success and that it’s the media causing the discontentment, but he would be better looking at the stark facts.
There were swathes of empty seats around the ground when Chivas took on local rivals Atlas a couple of weeks ago and when Pumas came to town it was the same. At the old Estadio Jalisco it was rare if one of the above games didn’t sell out, regardless of the circumstances of the team.
The stadium isn’t the only sign of discontent within Chivas however.
“This year I only brought one bus to the clasico,” says Luis Felipe Martinez, organizer of the Legion 1908 in Guadalajara. “I usually bring three.”
Outside the Azteca on Sunday another supporters’ club was protesting a potential change to the club badge.
As in all sports, a successful team brings fans around and while Chivas are performing like they did on Sunday, discontentment is bound is reign.
Perhaps what is required in the long term is that the club relaxes the rule on not allowing foreign players. Chivas have struggled in recent years in the Mexican league and now rely almost exclusively on talent coming up through the youth team.
The “sacred herd” has won just three titles since the Campeonisimo era ended in the 1960s. Toluca, on the other hand, has won seven titles since 1997.
The template for success in the Mexican league seems to be to have a large base of seven or eight Mexicans complemented with a few foreigners sprinkled in there. The Mexican identity remains while the team can be hugely aided by foreigners who can provide the missing link.
An additional problem for Chivas’ “Mexican only” policy is that it is combined with a policy of selling players that are successful. ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez played exceptionally well for only one year with Chivas before being whisked off, while 19-year-old midfield starlet Jorge Enriquez is being tipped to move in the same direction in the not too distant future.
If Chivas’ best players are sold on, the team naturally loses quality and it becomes difficult to win trophies; the most surefire way of getting supporters back into the stadium.
Most worryingly of all, Chivas fans are already fantasizing about the potential end-of-career return of the already mythical Chicharito. With his goals on Sunday, the wait could seem like an eternity.
Sunday’s “clasico of the clasicos” against bitter capital city rivals America ended 0-0, the second half of which was at times exasperating to watch.
The clash pits the all-Mexican, provincial “people’s club” from second city Guadalajara against Mexico City’s America, whose name alone alludes to intentions of grandeur. America spend big on players, flaunt their wealth and their fans are proud of it. Chivas, thanks to an era of domination called the campeonisimo in the late 1950s and 1960s, lead America eleven to ten in the overall title count but both clubs currently find themselves in a slump.
The Mexican sports press was ferocious in building the game up, suggesting the clubs owed the fans a true classic after recent mediocrity and scandal in the national team.
After 90 minutes, boos rang out and the game only served to highlight how both clubs now have some thinking to do in terms of how they can compete on the pitch, not just commercially, with Mexico’s new elite: Monterrey, Cruz Azul, Toluca, Santos Laguna.
Of the two giants of the Mexican though, it’s Chivas who are very much in flux.
Fans are almost unanimously against club owner Jorge Vergara, who bought the club in 2002 and said he would make it into one of the biggest in the world.
“On paper the project is fine but in practice it’s not that easy,” says Chivas fan Luis from Mexico City before Sunday’s game. “Where’s the money going to come from?”
Chivas fans dancing, singing and drinking in a Mexico City park before making their way to the Azteca hid a shared concern about the future of the club.
“I’ll tell you, none of us like Vergara,” says Carlos of Guadalajara’s Legion 1908 fan group. “You go round the park and ask people what they think of him.”
A major problem for Chivas fans in Guadalajara this year has been the new Omnilife Stadium.
“It’s an amazing stadium, incredible but the prices are too high and we can’t get there easily,” says Jorge, who was one of those to make the trip from Guadalajara to Mexico City on Sunday.
Hardcore fans like Jorge and Carlos go to the new stadium every home game, but thousands have been put off.
The Estadio Omnilife is like a modern European stadium, set on the edge of the city. It is genuinely impressive. The problem is that Mexicans can’t pay Western European costs and most people simply can’t afford to pay the ticket prices plus transport to the stadium and then the food and beer inside the stadium. In comparison to the vast majority of Mexican stadia, there are no independent vendors outside; meaning Vergara has a monopoly on food, booze and merchandise.
Vergara laughs it off and says the stadium has been a success and that it’s the media causing the discontentment, but he would be better looking at the stark facts.
There were swathes of empty seats around the ground when Chivas took on local rivals Atlas a couple of weeks ago and when Pumas came to town it was the same. At the old Estadio Jalisco it was rare if one of the above games didn’t sell out, regardless of the circumstances of the team.
The stadium isn’t the only sign of discontent within Chivas however.
“This year I only brought one bus to the clasico,” says Luis Felipe Martinez, organizer of the Legion 1908 in Guadalajara. “I usually bring three.”
Outside the Azteca on Sunday another supporters’ club was protesting a potential change to the club badge.
As in all sports, a successful team brings fans around and while Chivas are performing like they did on Sunday, discontentment is bound is reign.
Perhaps what is required in the long term is that the club relaxes the rule on not allowing foreign players. Chivas have struggled in recent years in the Mexican league and now rely almost exclusively on talent coming up through the youth team.
The “sacred herd” has won just three titles since the Campeonisimo era ended in the 1960s. Toluca, on the other hand, has won seven titles since 1997.
The template for success in the Mexican league seems to be to have a large base of seven or eight Mexicans complemented with a few foreigners sprinkled in there. The Mexican identity remains while the team can be hugely aided by foreigners who can provide the missing link.
An additional problem for Chivas’ “Mexican only” policy is that it is combined with a policy of selling players that are successful. ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez played exceptionally well for only one year with Chivas before being whisked off, while 19-year-old midfield starlet Jorge Enriquez is being tipped to move in the same direction in the not too distant future.
If Chivas’ best players are sold on, the team naturally loses quality and it becomes difficult to win trophies; the most surefire way of getting supporters back into the stadium.
Most worryingly of all, Chivas fans are already fantasizing about the potential end-of-career return of the already mythical Chicharito. With his goals on Sunday, the wait could seem like an eternity.
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