Historic victory for Mexican soccer
By Jorge Arangure Jr.
On Saturday afternoon, thousands of fans gathered in the Angel of Independence square in Mexico City to celebrate what essentially was a youth football title. Yet it felt like more than that as the crowd cried and cheered for its beloved soccer team. The notion that Mexico's most important soccer accomplishment came in a tournament where mostly under-23 players participated and that was lacking countries such as Argentina, Germany and France, among others, seemed absurd to many.
But Mexico's 2-1 win against Brazil in the Olympic gold-medal game Saturday was the biggest in its history, as much a symbolic win as an actual one, because it ushers in an era where Mexico will no longer be seen as a huge underdogs in international soccer. Some are saying El Tri, on the heels of a remarkable year-and-a-half run, will be a dark horse in Brazil in 2014.
The recent haul has been remarkable: U-17 World Cup champions, U-20 World Cup third place, Gold Cup champions, CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament champions, Toulon tournament champions (the first CONCACAF team to do so), Milk Cup champions and, finally and most impressively, Olympic champions.
Several players on the squad are already some of the most decorated in Mexican history.
<offer>Several point to Mexico's 1999 Confederation Cup win as the biggest moment in its soccer history, yet that title came at home and turned out to be more of a fluke than a victory to build upon. Three years later, that generation of players suffered a crushing defeat to the United States in the 2002 World Cup knockout round, and subsequent failures forced the Mexican federation to re-evaluate how youth players were developed.
These Olympics took place in Europe. The final was played at historic Wembley Stadium, where El Tri famously in 1961 were embarrassed by England 8-0 in what generally is considered one of the low moments in Mexican soccer. At the time, and for several decades afterward, Mexican players were seen as incapable of competing with the top squads in the world.
No more.
For most of its history, Mexico has been deemed unable to handle the pressure of big tournaments.
No more.
For this tournament, Mexico unnecessarily put more pressure on itself when national team director Hector Gonzalez Iñarritu said almost a year ago that El Tri were not only aiming to participate in the Olympics but also were talented enough to earn a medal, which many saw as a silly, boastful proclamation from a nation that had never won a significant title.
There was a method to Gonzalez Iñarritu's madness. He was hoping that such claims would embolden Mexican players to seek greatness, to embrace the large stage instead of fearing it, to make history instead of being overcome by it. Mexico's famously fragile soccer mentality had to harden. It has.
"The Mexican player's mindset has changed dramatically," Jorge Enriquez said at a news conference Sunday night after the team arrived in Mexico City. "Today, we believe we can face and compete with any rival."
Perhaps most importantly, what this Olympic title can do most is inspire future generations of players, the ones who will form the backbone of what the Mexican federation believes will be a future World Cup champion.
"Hopefully, this serves as an example to kids, who see that Mexico can be a champion," Mexico Olympic team manager Luis Fernando Tena said at the news conference.
To earn the title, Mexico defeated a Brazilian squad that was more than just a U-23 team. The core of the team Mexico faced Sunday will form a large part of Brazil's World Cup team in two years. The amount of talent was stunning. Three players (Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura, Oscar) recently were sold for a reported combined $122 million. Several others (Hulk, Leandro Damiao) could soon be sold off for similar amounts.
Mexico's most valuable player is certainly Giovani Dos Santos, and Tottenham has been unable to sell him for more than $6 million the past two seasons. Several players on Mexico's gold-medal team may soon head to Europe, but none is likely to surpass a $10 million transfer fee.
Such a discrepancy in individual talent simply confirmed Mexico's strategy of building chemistry through youth squads. Individually, Mexican players aren't better than players from major footballing nations. But if they could be taught to play well together, it wouldn't matter.
Preparation was imperative. It's worth noting that the core of the U-23 team played nearly 40 matches together in the lead-up to the Olympics. A player such as Diego Reyes will have played in more than 100 matches for various Mexican youth teams by the time he gets the call to the senior squad.
Most impressively, Mexico won the final with a lineup of players all from the Mexican league. No longer should a stigma be attached to those youngsters honing their trade at home instead of in Europe. The top players should challenge themselves in Europe, but there's no shame in starring for teams in Mexico.
Several of the gold medalists are likely to earn senior team call-ups in the near future. Tena said Mexico manager Jose Manuel de la Torre has already spotted several players who he believes can help in World Cup qualification.
For now, these players will be honored Wednesday prior to the national team's friendly against the United States. It will give the Mexican public one more chance to collectively celebrate El Tri's most important win in their history.</offer>
By Jorge Arangure Jr.
On Saturday afternoon, thousands of fans gathered in the Angel of Independence square in Mexico City to celebrate what essentially was a youth football title. Yet it felt like more than that as the crowd cried and cheered for its beloved soccer team. The notion that Mexico's most important soccer accomplishment came in a tournament where mostly under-23 players participated and that was lacking countries such as Argentina, Germany and France, among others, seemed absurd to many.
But Mexico's 2-1 win against Brazil in the Olympic gold-medal game Saturday was the biggest in its history, as much a symbolic win as an actual one, because it ushers in an era where Mexico will no longer be seen as a huge underdogs in international soccer. Some are saying El Tri, on the heels of a remarkable year-and-a-half run, will be a dark horse in Brazil in 2014.
The recent haul has been remarkable: U-17 World Cup champions, U-20 World Cup third place, Gold Cup champions, CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament champions, Toulon tournament champions (the first CONCACAF team to do so), Milk Cup champions and, finally and most impressively, Olympic champions.
Several players on the squad are already some of the most decorated in Mexican history.
<offer>Several point to Mexico's 1999 Confederation Cup win as the biggest moment in its soccer history, yet that title came at home and turned out to be more of a fluke than a victory to build upon. Three years later, that generation of players suffered a crushing defeat to the United States in the 2002 World Cup knockout round, and subsequent failures forced the Mexican federation to re-evaluate how youth players were developed.
These Olympics took place in Europe. The final was played at historic Wembley Stadium, where El Tri famously in 1961 were embarrassed by England 8-0 in what generally is considered one of the low moments in Mexican soccer. At the time, and for several decades afterward, Mexican players were seen as incapable of competing with the top squads in the world.
No more.
For most of its history, Mexico has been deemed unable to handle the pressure of big tournaments.
No more.
For this tournament, Mexico unnecessarily put more pressure on itself when national team director Hector Gonzalez Iñarritu said almost a year ago that El Tri were not only aiming to participate in the Olympics but also were talented enough to earn a medal, which many saw as a silly, boastful proclamation from a nation that had never won a significant title.
There was a method to Gonzalez Iñarritu's madness. He was hoping that such claims would embolden Mexican players to seek greatness, to embrace the large stage instead of fearing it, to make history instead of being overcome by it. Mexico's famously fragile soccer mentality had to harden. It has.
"The Mexican player's mindset has changed dramatically," Jorge Enriquez said at a news conference Sunday night after the team arrived in Mexico City. "Today, we believe we can face and compete with any rival."
Perhaps most importantly, what this Olympic title can do most is inspire future generations of players, the ones who will form the backbone of what the Mexican federation believes will be a future World Cup champion.
"Hopefully, this serves as an example to kids, who see that Mexico can be a champion," Mexico Olympic team manager Luis Fernando Tena said at the news conference.
To earn the title, Mexico defeated a Brazilian squad that was more than just a U-23 team. The core of the team Mexico faced Sunday will form a large part of Brazil's World Cup team in two years. The amount of talent was stunning. Three players (Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura, Oscar) recently were sold for a reported combined $122 million. Several others (Hulk, Leandro Damiao) could soon be sold off for similar amounts.
Mexico's most valuable player is certainly Giovani Dos Santos, and Tottenham has been unable to sell him for more than $6 million the past two seasons. Several players on Mexico's gold-medal team may soon head to Europe, but none is likely to surpass a $10 million transfer fee.
Such a discrepancy in individual talent simply confirmed Mexico's strategy of building chemistry through youth squads. Individually, Mexican players aren't better than players from major footballing nations. But if they could be taught to play well together, it wouldn't matter.
Preparation was imperative. It's worth noting that the core of the U-23 team played nearly 40 matches together in the lead-up to the Olympics. A player such as Diego Reyes will have played in more than 100 matches for various Mexican youth teams by the time he gets the call to the senior squad.
Most impressively, Mexico won the final with a lineup of players all from the Mexican league. No longer should a stigma be attached to those youngsters honing their trade at home instead of in Europe. The top players should challenge themselves in Europe, but there's no shame in starring for teams in Mexico.
Several of the gold medalists are likely to earn senior team call-ups in the near future. Tena said Mexico manager Jose Manuel de la Torre has already spotted several players who he believes can help in World Cup qualification.
For now, these players will be honored Wednesday prior to the national team's friendly against the United States. It will give the Mexican public one more chance to collectively celebrate El Tri's most important win in their history.</offer>
