Damn! Another one. The US missed the last World Cup because they had to rely on too many MLS players because the clubs paid them big money to come back. I don't think we're in danger of missing a World Cup but it doesn't help us to make that leap to be actual contenders for the World Cup when you rely on MLS players. I understand HH making the change because it's a very good contract and he's 32. There is still no excuse for Gio, Jona and Vela doing it other than showing us they never had the mentality to be great. Chicharito at least tried to go to different teams and leagues in Europe but everyone saw him as tronco and old which led to him not playing and somewhat forced to MLS to find playing time. Guardado continues to contribute to a very good European team at 36! Our players need a better mentality, we should have Rafa and Hugo slap around some of the younger players and let them know just because you're a millionaire you ain't nothing. To become someone in soccer you have to challenge and beat the best in the world. The top five Euro leagues is where you need to be to prove you're the best.
Más buenas noticias con respecto a jóvenes mexicanos a Europa. El talentoso mediocampista de Pumas, de 16 años, Íñigo Ariztia, entrenará por 2 semanas con el Villarreal. Íñigo ha sido seleccionado juvenil mexicano y tiene pasaporte comunitario. Ojalá pueda irse definitivamente.— Martín del Palacio (@martindelp) March 2, 2022
I'm not sure I agree. He'll start playing almost immediately once he moves over as the MLS just kicked off. One of his biggest issues in his game the last couple of outings with la sele has been his fitness and rhythm and immediately jumping into a team can only help. I was hoping he'd go somewhere mid-table in Spain so he could definitely start and this is almost as good. If the cup was a year out it could definitely be a problem, but 5 months might just be what he needs to make a comeback. It sucks that it's only after several injuries to key people that he's finally gotten a couple of games back to back. I don't think he was going to be sat for Qatar so heading into the desert after playing consistently is better and could prove to be the best thing for everyone.
Partially our fault for not producing a viable replacement. Romo’s been a huge letdown. Charly’s ok but defs not close to Herrera’s quality. Who else we got?
He was going to be called up and MLS always ends up costing Mexican players. It killed the NT career of the Dos Santos brothers and every Mexican player has suffered and dropped their level. Carlos Vela and Chicharito are the only ones to maintain a level, but even they can't compare to Europe. HH is playing in Atletico and he will go from a team where every training is against the top quality, to be the giant among dwarfs. It's a terrible move NT related.
Mexico needs to have more players in Europe but even then it's not a guarantee to have players of HH level. The guy is playing in Atletico Madrid after a great career with Porto. Things like that don't come easily. Although it's a way bigger case but a similar thing that what happened with Rafa Marquez could happen with our current crop.
All of that training means dick when you're arguably the worst player on the team for the 2/3 matches because you haven't been playing and your in-game rhythm is off. I agree his quality will decline over time, but we don't need it to last past 6 months. If you think his quality will dip terribly in that time frame then I don't know what you expect and maybe he was never actually that good just had better people around him. I agree he was always going to be called up, but at least this time he would have played 90 minutes more than once before doing so. In the league he's played more in the last two games than he has in the previous 10 dating back to October. HH sitting on any bench will never be as good as him actively playing for any team this close to a World Cup. I disagree, this can only help the NT.
This is all BS. It's the typical BS about how "it's better to be playing 90 than sitting on a bench in Europe". It's better to be playing 90 in Europe than being in the bench but that doesn't translate to "it's better to play 90 everywhere". That's BS. Having to earn your spot in teams like Atletico and Napoli are a lot better than playing 90 every week in Pachuca or LAFC. Every week you face train with better teammates and every time you play better opposition than the best in those leagues. The "you just had better players" makes no sense. Yeah you have better players, but also you have to elevate the quality to get to play with them. In MLS he will be training with garbage quality to face garbage opposition. That affects everyone, Mexican or not. It not a coincidence that the only two guys to really shine in the League, Giovinco and Zlatan, left the league and commented "Man that league sucks" after that. Also HH wasn't the worst player in those games. Martino does terrible in managing the games and does stupid things like having HH and Guardado there and outside of Lainez, he never gets it right but even then it's also the fact that HH carries a bigger role which is understandable but then also the attention thus is why a player like Carlos Rodriguez, who plays in Azteca, can be the worst player on the pitch like was against Panama and his playing gets cricket noises from the fans.
Yeah, I agree that fighting for a spot in Europe has translated better to the NT than playing a lot of minutes in the MLS. There are examples to show for it.
Again, I'm not making the case anyone should be playing 90 anywhere over fighting for it in Europe. Period. My argument is for a would be 32 year old who will be starting three games in the desert and his level of fitness and match sharpness. He's on the back end of his career, he's an undisputed starter in the NT, and HE'S BARELY PLAYED THE LAST 2 YEARS. Cholo maintained he wasn't in his plans and he fought to stay, wasn't good enough to break into the team regularly without injuries or occasional cup games. It sucks that every time he started to get a run something would happen, but we can't fix that. In 2021 he played more minutes for the NT than he did for Atletico across all competitions. That's FACT. If you think his level of play the last year hasn't been below his level and what he's capable of, then I don't know if you've ever actually watched the guy play. Blaming Tata for how terribly he manages his team still doesn't affect how out of sync HH usually has been in his first couple of games in the series. Even if Tata is to blame and we've established HH is always going to be a starter, do you really want him playing at the same level he has been?? I think in this isolated case a change could be good for him. If he stayed in Spain and went to a midtable team like Valencia or Rayo he's not training with the best, and he'll be playing against the best maybe in three games before the world cup comes. All of that is predicated on IF he makes it into the first team right away. This move is offering something different. HH is a leader and a veteran and we should hold him to a higher standard than Charly.
I agree our younger guys need to continue to fight for positions. They will continue to develop and gain experience. Guti is a great example of the merits of continuing to fight for it. I'm not advocating for players to throw in the towel like Pizarro, Jona, or Pulido did. To me, there's a difference in going to the MLS at 25 rather than at 32 after quite a successful European career.
He'll be facing way tougher competition at Rayo or Valencia than at any MLS team, training or competition. Valencia isn't even usually a bad squad anyways. They're consistently fighting for trophies in Europe. HH could have easily stayed in Spain or gone to Portugal since he has the EU passport as well. There's no way to cut this, but HH is settling into mediocrity for an early check and whatever, he's entitled to that but it's true that he's settling as well
fax. Zorillo putting work alongside Musah is legitimate & justifyable unlike rotting @Mediocre League Soccer w/ Ceren. Guardado @ 35, almost 20 years in Europe helping polish Guido Rodriguez while El Zorillo will become Darwin Ceren.
This was expected. Raul and Guardado will probably head to MLS, Tigres, or Monterrey in a year or two and that could also be said of Tecatito as he's approaching 30. But like some have said, this shouldn't be a problem as Mexico is just a top 16 team that will get out of the group stage in the WC and just get eliminated after that. There should be no expectations or ambition to get any further since that's what we've done for the past 20-30 years with domestic players.
Guardado going to MLS makes sense, he is already 36 past his peak and should not be in WC conversations but here we are.