Takeaways From an El Tri Friendly
A few thoughts from a Concacaf blogger after Mexico's game versus Ghana
Mexico’s Somos Locales tour stopped in Charlotte, NC over the weekend as they took on Ghana in an international friendly. I had the opportunity to stop by for training on Friday and was at the game on Saturday. As someone who supports all Concacaf teams and enjoys watching the El Tri, it was a treat for me. After reflecting on the weekend’s festivities, I have some thoughts on what I saw and how they impact the national team at large. Because I am not emotionally tied to the Mexican national team, I also feel like these are fairly objective. Whether or not you disagree with them is a different story. Let’s get into it!
1. The vibes are better with LamborJimmy
It’s hard to believe it wasn’t that long ago that the Mexican national team crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage with Tata Martino. They continued their fall in the short-lived Cocca sin gas era with an embarrassing loss to the USMNT in the Nations League. Jimmy Lozano (aka LamborJimmy) took over the team shortly after and led them to a Gold Cup title.
I know there is still a lot for Lozano to prove. The Gold Cup was not an A-rate tournament over the summer, and outside of the Olympic bronze medal, Jimmy’s resume leaves a lot to be desired, and the standards for El Tri should be much higher. There is a time and a place to have those discussions and if Mexico struggles in the upcoming Nations League tournament, the pressure will be on. With all that said, I am certain of one thing…the vibras in and around the team are infinitely better with Jimmy.
The sentiment amongst the fans has improved dramatically in the last 4 months. 60,000+ fans showed up in Charlotte and had fun! Wherever Mexico plays, their fans will show up in large numbers. But as we saw during the games leading up to and during the Nations League, the fans were restless and the environment had soured. The media, for the most part, in and around the game in Charlotte were enjoying it. You could feel a bit more excitement and hope from those covering the team. Most importantly, the team themselves have a new mindset and attitude. During training and the game, they played with joy and freedom. Multiple eras of toxicity have faded, and for that, Jimmy has already accomplished a lot!
2. Jimmy isn’t ready to give Santi Giménez the keys
While the LamborJimmy has the vibes up, he still seems hesitant to give the keys in attack over to Santi Giménez. During the Gold Cup, his preferred starting 9 was Henry Martín and lately, it has been Raúl Jiménez. Santi’s absence from starting XIs has been a main topic of discussion in 2023. Leading up to the Nations League and Gold Cup, Santi was coming off a great season with Feyenoord but that wasn’t enough to grab the starting spot. He scored a heroic game-winner in the Gold Cup final - and I wasn’t alone when I wrote, “This goal propelled Mexico to the title and maybe jumpstarted his era as the definitive 9 for the national team!”
With another hot start to 2023 (12 goals in 8 league games), Santi was given the start against Australia back in September but was replaced by Raúl Jiménez who scored in that game and bagged a brace in the next game as the starter vs Uzbekistan. Fast forward to this window, and questions continue to be asked about the forwards in the roster. In the postgame presser, Jimmy was asked why he elected to start Raúl against Ghana. He explained that his decision was based on the opponent and Raúl’s recent form. He also indicated changes might come against Germany and that he wants to cultivate the competition between Santi, Raúl, and Henry. These questions weren’t just for Jimmy but were asked to players as well. Before the Friday training session, Jordi Cortizo was asked about this and he spoke on the different profiles and characteristics each option brought to the table.
With Raúl experiencing something of a career renaissance with El Tri, including the increased confidence to attempt a rabona against Ghana, Santi only has one path to grabbing the starting job. The next chance he gets to start, he needs to be dominant. He has had great moments for the team off the bench, but not as the starting 9. It doesn’t seem like dominating the Eredivisie will be enough. With that said, as long as he does continue the dominant club form, the questions will continue for Jimmy and everyone around El Tri. It’s become clear over the last year that Santi is Mexico’s striker for the future….the question is, how far away is that future in Jimmy’s mind?
3. Chucky Lozano has something to prove
After Chucky’s goal in the 2018 World Cup against Germany, the sky was the limit for the young star. He built on that with 20+ goals for PSV before making a move to Napoli for a transfer fee just south of a $50M (a Napoli record at the time). After a pretty strong start to his Italian career, his minutes and production began to drop. This drop in production also carried over to the national team. Just a few months ago, after speculation that he may even go to MLS, Chucky moved back to PSV. There has been a lot of debate about that decision - but one thing I have seen from Chucky since then is the chip on his shoulder. He wants goals and wants to prove his doubters wrong (see the drama with PSV teammate Ricardo Pepi taking a PK as evidence).
Going into the game against Ghana, Chucky had only scored 2 goals in the last 2 years wearing the Mexico badge. Many pundits have questioned whether his place as a starting winger is still a lock with Uriel Antuna in good form and Chino Huerta on the rise. Although it was just a friendly, the Ghana game presented an opportunity for him to remind the doubters why there was so much excitement around him over the years. The stage was set….and Chucky did not disappoint! With the game tied in the second half, he received the ball on the left wing cut into the box, and beat the keeper with a vintage Chucky finish. The stadium was waiting for a moment to erupt and he gave it to them. A Chucky with something to prove is the Chucky that El Tri needs!
4. No plan in sight for life after Memo
Memo Ochoa has been a regular between the posts for Mexico for the better part of 15 years and is one of the best keepers in Concacaf history. Not only is he still the best goalie in the player pool, but he is also Mexico’s captain. The importance of his presence and leadership in the team is hard to describe succinctly. There is another reality…Memo is 38 years old. In writing this, I already know the types of comments and pushback I will get, whether it’s listing off all of his accolades, a retelling of their favorite Memo story, and the fact that goalies can play forever. I get all of that and I’m not arguing against those things. With that said, there needs to be a plan for when Memo eventually moves on and that plan seems farther away than ever.
If Mexico qualifies for Copa America 2024, Memo will most certainly be the starting keeper. But what about the 2026 World Cup? He will be 41 years old at that time - so even if he is 100% healthy, his form likely won’t be better than it is now. If he were to get injured, who would Mexico turn to? Within the last year, Mexico has called in 5 keepers who have made appearances for the senior team:
José Antonio Rodríguez, Age: 31, Club: Tijuana, Caps: 1
Luis Malagón, Age: 26, Club: America, Caps: 2
Carlos Acevedo, Age: 27, Club: Santos Laguna, Caps: 6
Rodolfo Cota, Age: 36, Club: León, Caps: 8
Alfredo Talavera, Age: 41, Club: Juárez, Caps: 40
Based on their ages and current trajectories, Acevedo and Malagón would be the most likely candidates to succeed Memo. Friendlies, like this one against Ghana, present a great chance to allow another keeper to play (in this case it would have been Malagón as Acevedo is recovering from injury). I am not advocating for Memo to be dropped from the starting role…but I do think Mexico is playing with fire. They are banking on the legendary Ochoa maintaining his form and health into his 40s. If he is unable to, there doesn’t appear to be a great path forward.
Mexico finds themselves in this situation for many reasons. One is that they have benefitted from having one of the region’s best goalies for 10+ years. They haven’t needed to try other keepers. Another is that there aren’t many other Mexican keepers that can compete with him. I won’t spend any time discussing the reasoning for the perceived lack of domestic talent - others have done this and can speak to it better than I can. I hope, for Mexico’s sake and as a fan of Concacaf legends, that Memo can be what they need him to be going into 2026. If he can’t, it will be very interesting to see what happens. A player of his status will likely decide the terms he goes out on. I will say this, Memo’s shoe game is still fire even as he nears 40!
After watching El Tri from afar for many years, it was a privilege to attend a game in person and have the opportunity to be around the team leading up to the game. The dedication of the team and the passion and energy of the fan base were infectious. It was a great reminder of why I believe that Concacaf is home to some of the best the beautiful game has to offer.
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