Mexican National Team: What should be the base against the United States?

ESPN raises the player base that Diego Cocca should use for the important duel against the United States scheduled for June 15

Coach Diego Cocca is at the gates of his first major test with the Mexican teamthen he will face USA in the semifinals of the Concacaf Nations League with the slogan of winning and breaking the paternity that the ‘stars and stripes’ team has imposed on the team, which has not won a victory against its staunch rival since 2019.

With just five games in charge, two official ones, three friendlies and with a record of two wins and three draws, Diego Cocca He has stated that there is a lack of intensity and coordination, in a team that has seen a significant number of players parade to try out in different positions, with irregular results, and that has hardly had time to amalgamate.

The 37-year-old veteran goalkeeper who has more than 120 matches of experience with the Mexican team has sufficient arguments to be the owner before USAespecially since the players who compete to take the baton once the gloves are hung up go through periods of irregularity.

In the case of Carlos Acevedo, who was aiming to be chosen as Ochoa’s successor, he has played two of the five duels in the stage of Diego Cocca as a Mexican coach and obtained a good grade, but the 37 goals in 17 games he conceded in the Clausura 2023 of the MX league with Santos Laguna are a reasonable argument to doubt the moment he is going through. In addition to the above, the 27-year-old goalkeeper suffered a shoulder injury and was dropped from the squad.

Luis Malagón is another goalkeeper who has raised his hand to defend the team’s framework thanks to the outstanding participation he had with América in Clausura 2023, which earned him his first call-up and ownership against Guatemala, however, a serious mistake against Cameroon it cost his cause a goal at the same time that it gave rise to doubts about the preparation to attend a key duel for his national team.

Antonio Rodríguez, another old ‘sea lion’ in the MX League also appears in the call as the third option, however, his role aims to be a reliable substitute when the situation demands it.

Johan Vasqueza 24-year-old central defender, looks like a solid piece for the first line of the Mexican team, which has seen Gilberto Sepúlveda, Néstor Araujo, Héctor Moreno and Víctor Guzmán line up on several occasions – and fail.

Johan Vasquez has participated in only one duel during the period in which Diego Cocca He has been on the bench for the Mexican National Team, against Suriname in the Concacaf Nations League, however, his stay in Serie A with Cremonese and Genoa over three seasons are an incentive to consider him as a starter.

Like Vasquez, Montes He is a firm candidate to monopolize the other space in the center, since he has shone as an important player for Espanyol in just six months, despite the fact that the team was relegated to the Second Division of Spain. With Diego Cocca in the Mexican National Team, Montes only played against Jamaica at the end of March.

As center back on the left, Gilberto Sepulveda has seen action under the baton of Diego Cocca against Guatemala and Cameroon. As a starter against the African team, the 24-year-old from Sinaloa was overwhelmed by the opponent’s speed and was unable to score safely, while Guatemala was a rival that presented little offensive presence and the player came on as a substitute at 72′.

Nestor Araujo He has participated in three of five duels after Qatar 2022, with chiaroscuro in his performance. While he gave a good game against the modest Guatemalan team and rose as a pillar of the defense, against Cameroon he warned of shortcomings that left him portrayed on multiple occasions within his zone. In addition, he started in the friendly against the United States in April and was left with the team.

the veteran Hector Moreno it has only participated against Jamaica during the Diego Cocca process, with a negative result. Against the Caribbean team, it was not a solution to stop the attacks and he was shown to be one of the weakest links in the starting eleven, due to the ease with which the ball circulated in his area of ​​the court.

In the case of Victor Guzman, the 21-year-old defender was part of the starting XI against the United States in April, opening the doors for the rival to seek an equalizer and in the end conceding space that became a conceded goal. He also lined up against Guatemala and was uncomfortable on the few occasions when he was under pressure.

The holding midfielder has 60 appearances with the Mexican National Team and, if he keeps a cool head, he offers many guarantees to support the defense in a position that Alan Cervantes, Érick Sánchez and Luis Romo have paraded through, with more doubts than certainties.

Alan Cervantes, 25, received his first opportunity with Diego Cocca against Guatemala and delivered good accounts after 90 minutes, however, he lacks experience in complex scenarios to give the weight of responsibility to a player with only five international duels at an absolute level.

Luis Romo has participated in two of the five duels with Diego Cocca on the Mexican bench and the background is not in his favor. Against Jamaica he showed a low level during his 90-minute stay and against Cameroon he missed most of the frontal passes, in addition to being the main person responsible for the first opposing goal, as he was surprised by Olivier Kemen, who deprived him of the ball in his zone to set up a goal play.

Of the third of players in dispute for the position, Érick Sánchez is the one with the greatest arguments to sneak into the starting eleven, since he has shown regularity and good performance in the three duels he has played with Diego Cocca in command, against the United States and Guatemala as the starter and with Cameroon from the bench, thanks to the certainties it offers and vision to distribute the ball in both directions.

With four duels in tow in the era Diego Coccathe revelation in the midfield of the Mexican team During Qatar 2022, he aims to start the duel against the United States as a starter thanks to the impetus he gives in each play and the push that his presence gives to the national team, since he has a high percentage of successes in key passes, plays well between the lines and also contributes in defense, above footballers like Carlos Rodríguez and Érick Gutiérrez.

carlos rodriguez He has participated in four of five possible matches this year with the Mexican team, against Suriname, USA, Guatemala and Cameroon, with ups and downs in his performance as ’10’, behind the striker, or as a visibly uncomfortable left winger outside his area. Despite the above, the best duel of him with Diego Cocca on the national bench it was against the United States, behind the center forward.

The performance of Eric Gutierrez with the Mexican team He has been on duty since the qualifying round for Qatar 2022 and has only participated against Suriname with Nock as a coach. In that match, as a left-wing inside, for 90 minutes, he went unnoticed and was widely surpassed by midfielder Diego Biseswar, who repeatedly stripped him of the ball and canceled his presence on the pitch.

The versatile attacking midfielder was crowned champion of Greece as a key player for AEK Athens, a club with which he played 36 games and scored nine times, so his good moment adds up to being considered a starter against USA.

Due to his qualities, the ‘Maguito’ can play both behind the striker and as a winger on both flanks, to give competition to Alexis Vega, Uriel Antuna, or become a replacement for the injured Hirving Lozano.

Alexis Vega has only participated before USA con Diego Cocca in charge and he did it as ’10’ with a good grade during the duel, as he took the reins of the offensive apparatus to spin the plays and act as provider for Roberto de la Rosa. Despite being named second point, the attacker made tireless sacrifice and raised his hand as a good recoverer against the rival.

For his part, Uriel Antuna has participated against Suriname, USA and Cameroon with the characteristic speed and dribbling that accompany him and he even scored a goal against the ‘Stars and Stripes’, however, most of his attempts are at the opponent’s feet, so Pineda it is replacement with other features to try offensive variants.

Hirving Lozano he will miss the Final Four of the Nations League due to a knee injury he suffered on May 14 with Napoli in the match against Monza in Serie A. His last appearance with the Mexican team It was against Jamaica, a duel in which he was key, thanks to his speed, overflow and technique, and he even scored a goal.

Although he has only seen action with Diego Cocca against Suriname, the Dutch champion center forward has reason enough to raise his hand as a starter against USAas he lived a dream first season in European football, with 23 goals in all competitions and is at a better time than Raúl Jiménez or Henry Martín.

In the case of Raul Jimenez, the attacking center whose football future is in doubt after a bad season in Wolverhampton, as well as a frayed relationship with coach Julen Lopetegui, was dropped from the Mexican National Team due to undergoing leg surgery. Independent of the player’s output, his numbers with the Mexican team They have been negative for just over a year, as he recently broke 14 months without scoring with the green shirt and did so from the penalty spot.

Henry Martin He also had a good soccer semester, as he was the Clausura 2023 scoring champion, however, his performance experienced a notable collapse at the moments that America needed it most, since the team did not celebrate any goal of its manufacture in the Liguilla.