[h=1]Mexico is 2018 World Cup sleeper[/h][h=3]Why El Tri has a real shot to make a run in the next World Cup[/h]By Adrian Melville | ESPN Insider
The Liga MX Apertura begins on Friday, and as a country, Mexico will look to continue building on the generation of players who were designed to make the country a global power. Many of the players who helped the team capture a U-17 World Cup in 2011, along with an Olympic Gold medal in 2012, are now in the prime of their careers.
A strong defensive showing in the 2014 tournament, combined with an impressive pipeline of upcoming talent in El Tri's attack, gives manager Miguel Herrera a lot of flexibility in the team that he assembles four years from now.
After a crushing defeat to the Netherlands in the round of 16, the odds at the LVH Superbook have Mexico at 50-1 to win the 2018 World Cup, but I believe they should be much higher.
With a mix of young talent and established veterans, here's why Mexico is a sleeper to win the 2018 World Cup.
A solid defense
Similar to the United States, Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa became the star of his team by making tremendous saves throughout the tournament. His six saves against Brazil were the highlight, and over the course of four games, Ochoa established himself as a valuable commodity in the transfer market.
Just ahead of Ochoa, central defender Hector Moreno, who had a promising World Cup cut short by a broken tibia in the team's round of 16 game against the Netherlands, is the future of the Mexican back line. The Espanyol central defender was agile, calm and quick with his decision-making, and his timely tackling was also helpful in Mexico conceding just 3.3. shots on target per game (fifth lowest in World Cup). His defensive support was vital alongside an aging Rafa Marquez on the back line.
ESPN Stats & InformationHeat map of Hector Moreno's tackles in 2014 World Cup, left, and Rafa Maruez's tackles, right.
Moreno led Mexico with seven tackles in the tournament, and at 26 years old, he should have time to mature and increase his reputation as a central presence. By 2018, the central defense shouldn't be an issue for the team. His replacement in the Netherlands game, Diego Reyes, was a key member of the 2012 Olympic team, and at just 21, the Porto defender also has a bright future ahead of him.
Strong prospects in the attack
The chemistry that Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos showed in the World Cup was critical to the team's success, and with Javier Hernandez also available to make significant contributions off the bench, Mexico was able to put a lot of attacking pressure on its opponents. As a team, Mexico put 35 percent of its shots on target in 2014, an improvement from the 24.4 percent of shots that the team put on target in the 2010 World Cup.
While Peralta is 30 and will need to maintain his health and form to be a factor in 2018, Dos Santos is just 25 and appears to be maturing as an attacking player. The change or scenery from Mallorca in 2012-13 to Villarreal in 2013-14 has played a big part in Dos Santos' progress, and the attacker is growing more proficient in finishing his chances in and around the penalty areas.
ESPN Stats & InformationShot chart of Giovani Dos Santos' shots (blue) and goals (soccer balls) in 2012-13 La Liga season, left, and 2013-14 season, right.
Dos Santos scored 11 goals for Villarreal last season, compared with just six the previous season with Mallorca. But equally important was the fact that Dos Santos also led Villarreal with eight assists, and his ability to create for other teammates while also scoring goals himself was on full display in the World Cup.
Along with established talents such as Dos Santos and Hernandez, Mexico also has young, domestic attacking talent in the form of Raul Jimenez and Alan Pulido. Both players recorded five goals in their respective 2014 Clausura seasons, and while Pulido has shown flashes of world-class finishing and technical ability in the attack for Tigres, Jimenez provides another element to the Mexico attack with his 6-foot-1 frame. He's also familiar with Herrera's managerial style from their days together at Club America.
Outlook
Mexico fit right in the middle of 2014 World Cup participants when it came to age, ranking 16th out of 32 teams. This will be good for the team going forward, as the mix of youth and experience should serve the team well as El Tri moves toward 2018 World Cup qualifying.
The team's 2018 prospects should also be boosted by the continual progress of those who did not begin their careers as a part of Mexico's strong youth teams, but remain core elements to the current pool of talent. This group includes players such as Leon's 26-year-old Jose Juan Vazquez, a strong defensive marker who led the team in pass completion percentage during the World Cup, and Vazquez's Leon teammate Carlos Pena, who showed strong box-to-box capabilities by leading the team in goals, provided timely midfield tackles for the Liga MX champions and is just 24.
Herrera is bound to find more talent as the team moves toward 2018, and so far the manager has done a good job of blending the experienced, overseas talent of this generation with the domestic talent that appears in Liga MX. As the core group of players continues to develop, El Tri will be a sleeper for 2018.
The Liga MX Apertura begins on Friday, and as a country, Mexico will look to continue building on the generation of players who were designed to make the country a global power. Many of the players who helped the team capture a U-17 World Cup in 2011, along with an Olympic Gold medal in 2012, are now in the prime of their careers.
A strong defensive showing in the 2014 tournament, combined with an impressive pipeline of upcoming talent in El Tri's attack, gives manager Miguel Herrera a lot of flexibility in the team that he assembles four years from now.
After a crushing defeat to the Netherlands in the round of 16, the odds at the LVH Superbook have Mexico at 50-1 to win the 2018 World Cup, but I believe they should be much higher.
With a mix of young talent and established veterans, here's why Mexico is a sleeper to win the 2018 World Cup.
A solid defense
Similar to the United States, Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa became the star of his team by making tremendous saves throughout the tournament. His six saves against Brazil were the highlight, and over the course of four games, Ochoa established himself as a valuable commodity in the transfer market.
Just ahead of Ochoa, central defender Hector Moreno, who had a promising World Cup cut short by a broken tibia in the team's round of 16 game against the Netherlands, is the future of the Mexican back line. The Espanyol central defender was agile, calm and quick with his decision-making, and his timely tackling was also helpful in Mexico conceding just 3.3. shots on target per game (fifth lowest in World Cup). His defensive support was vital alongside an aging Rafa Marquez on the back line.
Moreno led Mexico with seven tackles in the tournament, and at 26 years old, he should have time to mature and increase his reputation as a central presence. By 2018, the central defense shouldn't be an issue for the team. His replacement in the Netherlands game, Diego Reyes, was a key member of the 2012 Olympic team, and at just 21, the Porto defender also has a bright future ahead of him.
Strong prospects in the attack
The chemistry that Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos showed in the World Cup was critical to the team's success, and with Javier Hernandez also available to make significant contributions off the bench, Mexico was able to put a lot of attacking pressure on its opponents. As a team, Mexico put 35 percent of its shots on target in 2014, an improvement from the 24.4 percent of shots that the team put on target in the 2010 World Cup.
While Peralta is 30 and will need to maintain his health and form to be a factor in 2018, Dos Santos is just 25 and appears to be maturing as an attacking player. The change or scenery from Mallorca in 2012-13 to Villarreal in 2013-14 has played a big part in Dos Santos' progress, and the attacker is growing more proficient in finishing his chances in and around the penalty areas.
Dos Santos scored 11 goals for Villarreal last season, compared with just six the previous season with Mallorca. But equally important was the fact that Dos Santos also led Villarreal with eight assists, and his ability to create for other teammates while also scoring goals himself was on full display in the World Cup.
Along with established talents such as Dos Santos and Hernandez, Mexico also has young, domestic attacking talent in the form of Raul Jimenez and Alan Pulido. Both players recorded five goals in their respective 2014 Clausura seasons, and while Pulido has shown flashes of world-class finishing and technical ability in the attack for Tigres, Jimenez provides another element to the Mexico attack with his 6-foot-1 frame. He's also familiar with Herrera's managerial style from their days together at Club America.
Outlook
Mexico fit right in the middle of 2014 World Cup participants when it came to age, ranking 16th out of 32 teams. This will be good for the team going forward, as the mix of youth and experience should serve the team well as El Tri moves toward 2018 World Cup qualifying.
The team's 2018 prospects should also be boosted by the continual progress of those who did not begin their careers as a part of Mexico's strong youth teams, but remain core elements to the current pool of talent. This group includes players such as Leon's 26-year-old Jose Juan Vazquez, a strong defensive marker who led the team in pass completion percentage during the World Cup, and Vazquez's Leon teammate Carlos Pena, who showed strong box-to-box capabilities by leading the team in goals, provided timely midfield tackles for the Liga MX champions and is just 24.
Herrera is bound to find more talent as the team moves toward 2018, and so far the manager has done a good job of blending the experienced, overseas talent of this generation with the domestic talent that appears in Liga MX. As the core group of players continues to develop, El Tri will be a sleeper for 2018.
