4:44 PM ET
Cesar Hernandez
DOHA, Qatar -- What bash Mexico's Andres Guardado and Guillermo Ochoa person successful communal with footballing greats similar Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
Like the Ballon d'Or winners, El Tri's veterans are present portion of an incredibly exclusive enactment of players that person been called-up to 5 World Cups -- a grounds nary subordinate has yet to break.
Along with Ronaldo and Messi, Guardado and Ochoa articulation the likes of Germany's Lothar Matthaus, Italy's Gianluigi Buffon and Mexican icons Rafael Marquez and Antonio Carbajal, who person each taken portion successful 5 tournaments each. For some Guardado and Ochoa, it's an astonishing agelong that began with the 2006 World Cup.
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But arsenic Mexico hole to statesman their World Cup run successful Qatar connected Tuesday, there's much ambivalence from fans and media alternatively of excitement astir the 2 veterans and respective different members of Mexico's aged guard.
After the announcement of manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino's last World Cup roster earlier this period -- with an mean property 28.5 -- eyebrows were raised erstwhile determination was not a azygous subordinate nether the property of 23, including noteworthy exclusions similar Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez and Braga's Diego Lainez.
There is nary deficiency of acquisition passim the Mexican squad, but determination are besides lingering worries astir whether immoderate of the players mightiness beryllium past the highest of their abilities. Coupled with conscionable 3 wins successful their past 9 matches successful each competitions, Mexico's signifier has galore fans and pundits wondering however resilient this squad volition beryllium successful Qatar.
One time earlier Mexico's tournament-opener against Poland, Martino supported his criticized radical of players.
"Like I've ever said, this nationalist team, particularly successful the caller play of time, it's precise strong," the manager said during Monday's pre-game quality conference. "Since the summertime until now, the squad has started to genuinely play bully games, but the results successful wide conscionable haven't followed."
Will the results yet crook successful El Tri's favour during the World Cup radical stage?
Although Ochoa seemed to walk much clip connected Monday criticizing the sum from Mexican media than discussing Tuesday's crippled against Poland, the goalkeeper did effort to flip the publication connected 1 of the caller talking points of El Tri not having capable youthful vigor successful the squad.
"There are a batch of young radical [in our squad] that don't person World Cup experience," Ochoa said connected Monday. "The eagerness of that archetypal game, of that archetypal World Cup, volition ever beryllium there."
There whitethorn adjacent beryllium the aforesaid level of eagerness for the 36-year-old Guardado, Mexico's caller all-time appearances person (178 caps) who has stated that this volition beryllium his past World Cup, calling it his "last dance."
"I'll play successful the World Cup and [then] my information with the nationalist squad volition beryllium over, it's my past dream," the Mexico skipper told Rondo Magazine earlier this year. "It's the past accidental to execute thing for the nationalist team."
The thrust and information volition beryllium determination from Guardado, Ochoa and galore different veterans who person been important players successful Martino's process, but clip volition archer if it's the close premix of characters for this World Cup.
For what it's worth, a absorption connected veterans has worked successful the past for Martino. Back successful the 2010 World Cup, the Argentine manager took an underdog Paraguay squad with astir the aforesaid mean property (28.1) arsenic Mexico successful 2022 (28.5) done to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Twelve years aboriginal tin Martino recreate immoderate of this magic erstwhile again?
On Tuesday, the archetypal large trial for his roster volition beryllium against Poland, a broadside that volition apt beryllium battling with El Tri for the 2nd and last spot from Group C into the knockout round, with Argentina the expected group-group winner.
Traditionally, Mexico person had a much noteworthy World Cup beingness since 1994 with their accordant qualifications into the knockout circular successful 7 consecutive appearances -- successful examination to conscionable 3 radical signifier exits for Poland during that aforesaid tally -- but manager Czeslaw Michniewicz wouldn't judge the conception that Mexico volition beryllium the favorites connected Tuesday's lucifer astatine Stadium 974.
"We don't look astatine Mexico successful this mode -- we're each astatine the World Cup," Poland's manager said astatine Monday's quality conference. "We bash not springiness immoderate ranks to our opponents."
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny besides agreed with the thought that El Tri aren't supra them.
"I deliberation that the Mexican squad is astatine a akin level that we are," said the Juventus goalkeeper. "It's going to beryllium an absorbing game."
Assuming Argentina won't person excessively overmuch occupation successful Group C and that Saudi Arabia don't negociate immoderate upsets, the 3 points disposable Tuesday volition importantly boost the chances of either Mexico oregon Poland making it into the Round of 16.
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If El Tri are capable to get 3 points, it could beryllium capable for a implicit 180-degree crook connected the antagonistic spotlight that has been enactment connected Martino and his aging squad. A spot successful his veterans, connected the biggest signifier successful the sport, would erstwhile again beryllium to beryllium connected the way to success.
And yet if Mexico lose, oregon possibly adjacent draw, it wouldn't beryllium pugnacious to overgarment Martino's roster enactment arsenic a risky gamble. In a squad that seems to person needed younker replacements and a generational change, determination would beryllium a consciousness of a achy regression during the World Cup.
For the clip being, Ochoa and Guardado volition stock the World Cup grounds for the astir World Cup call-ups, but if things don't enactment successful their favor, that mightiness beryllium each that they'll caput location with successful an aboriginal and perchance disappointing exit from the World Cup.
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