InWorldCup,MexicoBelieves

AnythingCanHappenAfterRough
RoadtoBrazil
http://www.gamebasin.com/news/in-world-cup-mexico-believes-anything-
can-happen-after-rough-road-to-brazil
In the eyes of the Mexican writer Juan Villoro, a frequent commentator on soccer and, thus, a
personwithakeensenseofnarrativestructure,theMexiconationalteamsundulantpathtothis
city unfolded much like the plot of a telenovela. There were shifting loyalties and interpersonal
squabbles, immoderate despair and moments of ecstasy, several neardeaths and a lastminute
salvation.Now,fanswillwitnessaresolutiontoafinalcliffhanger.OnFridayinthiscityalongthe
northeastern coast of Brazil, Mexico will play its first game of the 2014 World Cup, against
Cameroon. After an unsteady and emotional rollercoaster ride through the qualifying stages in
theConcacafregion,thereisafeeling,asinanygoodstory,thatanythingcanhappen.Forme,it
isnotamatterofhowyougetthere,aslongasyougetthere,andtherealchallengestartsnowfor
ourteam,saidAlfredoDomnguezMuro,aradiohostandsportscolumnistinMexico.Whoever
getslostinthatsuperficialdramaforgetsthatthe32teamsthatgettotheWorldCupgotthere
howevertheycould.Whatdramaitwas,though.ThecountrysperformanceattheOlympicstwo
yearsagoinLondon,forthesakeofstorytelling,iswidelyseenasthisMexicansquadsformative
phase.ItbeataBrazilianteamthatfeaturedthelikesofNeymar,scar,Hulkandotherplayerson
the World Cup team, 21, in the gold medal game, solidifying the notion that the country was
cultivatingagenerationofstars.(Olympicsoccerisessentiallyanunder23competition,and10of
the23playersontheMexicanOlympicsquadwereincludedontheWorldCuprosterthismonth.)
Butthesubsequentmaturationprocessdidnotexactlygosmoothly.Mexicocompileda235win
losedrawrecordinWorldCupqualifyinglastyear,failingtoscoreinhalfofitsgames.Thisstunning
mediocrityplungedtheteamintoadizzyingcrisis.Overthat10gamespan,thecountryssoccer
federationcycled,ratheramazingly,throughfourcoaches,whointurntriedalmost50players.Fans,
meanwhile,begantoaskexistentialquestionsaboutthestateofthesportinthecountry.
VillorosaidthestructureofMexicosdomesticleague,whichhas
twoshortseasons,promotedvolatility.Hesaidtheleaguesteams
weremoreinterestedinsellingplayersthandevelopingthem.Andhe
saidthenationalteamsabilitytoplaypoorlyintheregionand
stillqualifyfortournamentsand,moreimportant,earnrevenue
(MexicosfederationhasalucrativecontractwithSoccerUnited
Marketing,anarmofMajorLeagueSoccer,toplayexhibitionsinthe
UnitedStates)andsponsorshipshadbredcomplacencyupanddown
thesport.
ItwasonlyadeusexmachinathatsavedMexicofromwreckage.Onthe
lastdayofqualifying,MexicowaslosingtoCostaRicaandwas
secondsawayfrommissingtheWorldCup.Butinaconcurrentgamein
PanamaCity,GrahamZusioftheUnitedStatesscoredagoalin
second-halfinjurytime,whichliftedMexicobackintofourthplacein
thegroup,whichmeantitwouldfaceNewZealandinatwo-game
playoffforaWorldCupberth.(ItalsobirthedthenicknameSan
Zusi amongMexicanfans.)
Thatnight,avideoofaMexicantelevisioncommentatorthankingthe
UnitedStatesandbashinghiscountrysplayersbecamepopular
online.Theteam,savedfromthedead,wontheplayoffhandily.
Afterallofthat,Mexicanfansremainpassionateabouttheteam.It
helpsthattheyhaveacharismaticcoach,MiguelHerrera,whoseems
tohaveearnedthetrustofplayersandcharmedthenewsmedia.Heis
anemotionaloratorandanunabashedtweeter.
Herreraandtheteamcaptain,RafaelMrquez,repeatedlyusethe
phrasemakehistorytocharacterizetheirambitions.(Contrast
thatwiththecommentsofJurgenKlinsmann,theUnitedStatescoach,
whosaidhisteamcouldnotrealisticallywinthetournament.)
Wehaveateamthatcanbeworldchampions,Herrerasaid.We
areconvincedofthis.
Sucheagerness,though,mayhavesomebasis.Theteamfinally
receivedastrokeofgoodluckwhenitwasdrawnintoGroupA.
Brazil, rankedNo.3intheworld,presentsanobviouschallengeas
thetournamenthostandpopularfavoritetowin.Butmatchesagainst
Croatia(No.18)andCameroon(No.56)areseenasmanageabletasks.
AnanalysisbyTheNewYorkTimeslastweekdeterminedthatMexico
wastheWorldCupsluckiestteam, meaningitsfirst-roundgrouping
wascalculatedtobeeasierthan99percentofitsother
possibilities.
Butquestionmarkslinger.Ithasbeenacknowledged,forinstance,
thattherosterissuboptimal.CarlosVela,whoisseenbymanyas
thecountrystopplayer,hasnotplayedforthenationalteamsince
2011,thereasonforwhichremainsunclear.AndLuisMontes,akey
midfielder,fracturedhisrightleginanexhibitiongameonMay31,
dealinganemotionalblowtotheteam.
AsstableastheteamhasbeenunderHerrera,itobviouslycouldhave
usedmoretimetogrowfamiliarwithhissystemandideas.Itis
unclearhowcohesivetheunitwillbewhenfacedwithextreme
pressure,andquestionsremainabouthowtheteamwillscore.
Thisteamdoesnothaveacharacter,saidDomnguez,theradio
hostandcolumnist,whosuggestedtheteamwouldneedtosacrifice
theattractivestyleofcollectiveplaythathasbeenitshallmarkto
huntgoals.Thistime,agreatdealofindividualcapacityand
talentwillhavetoemergebecausethisgroupisnotreallyateam.
Whateverhashappened,whateverissuesstillexist,Domnguezsaidit
wasnowtimefortheMexicanteamanditsfanstosetthemaside.
Themelodramahardlymattersanymore.Improbably,theMexicanteamis
here.
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