As has already been discussed here, due to high salaries and other factors, the best Mexican players tend to play in the Mexican league. In other parts of the world, a hybridization of futbol is occurring-Brazil uses tall forwards who try to head in crosses, Dutch coaches spread Dutch tactics around the world, etc. Is Mexico missing out on this mixing because its players stay in Mexico? And what would be considered the Mexican style of futbol? What tactics, techniques, character are unique to Mexican futbol?
those are some great questions guerito! i would like to see what the peanut gallery has to say about style and such. personally, i think the ideal mexican style would be to play hard organized defense, with quick counter-attack. like i said, i look forward to what the others have to say.
Thanks for the response. Since you mentioned organized defense,I realized that I should have listed great goalkeeping as a trait of Mexican teams. But that probably has to do with having keepers like Campos, Perez and Sanchez available over the years, rather than any planning on the part of the DTs.
it all really depends on the coach really. with Lavolpe it's pretty much defend and counter attack like you said. with Aguirre it was keeping possesion of the ball, passing, and moving up (taking things pretty calm). Meza, i have no frickin clue . i liked Lapuente's tactics the best though because it all really depended on who the team faced. they would either keep possesion, defend and counter attack, or whatever.
Over the handful of matches that I have seen in the Mexican league and the Mexican National side, defense for sure (we aren't talking Italian style....very low scoring Defense, but you know what I mean) and explosive counter-attack.
MY OPINION: I don’t see the hybridization in countries where futbol has been established at the national level. Brazil still plays el jogo bonito and are not going to turn into an arial team a la Germany any time soon. They only go arial from free kicks with their tall defenders like most other countries. At a professional league level that hybridization is in leagues like Germany and MLS. MLS is one big hybrid. MY OPINION: El Futbol Mexicano is very tactical like Germany but more possession minded like Argentina. You have good guys at every position (sometimes better than good), but not great. Unfortunately, it is the lack of individuality greatness that plagues Mexico. Some countries can produce great and better than good talent every generation (Brazil) or every other generation (Italy). And once you field a team with good, great, and better than good players, a team can actually make deep runs at respected national tournaments. I yet to see Mexico produce a crop (3-6) of legitimate great and better than good players in one generation. I have seen them produce a lot of good players, but no more than a hand full of better than good players and one great player. Until Lavolpe’s Copa America strategy, I would say that Mexico was one of the few countries that would play one-for-one with a team no matter who it was. El Tri has always been attack minded because that is the only style in the Americas that people respect. No one respects a defensive approach. That’s is not what the essence of futbol is about. MY OPINION: To my dismay, I believe most (not all) Mexican players get a sense of complacency once they reach La Primera. Its almost like they reached their main professional goal and do not take their individual game to a higher level. The futbol players are treated like Gods in Mexico and it may get to their heads, plus the pay is good. But is it really complacency or is it the fact that the skilled positions to advance a player’s individual game is already taken by a foreigner? Its difficult for a coach to assess a player’s improved individual game if he is not given the chance to demonstrate it on the field. The answer may be a bit of both. Con Safos
El Bueno-Clever little Aztec runners, loads of skill and street smarts. Possesion minded flow is a must. Their profesionalism and manner of training at the club level is the best in the Americas hands down. El Malo---The English invented the long ball and the Mexicans perfected it to a predictable artform.
that's it! I share your opinion, I think complacency is a big problem for Mexican players in the national team and it is a reflection of the mentality at the league level (of course there are some exceptions, like el Pity at Copa America) They should take the Argies as an example (ellos se parten la madre por estar en la seleccion). I also think the mexican players need to go to Europe so they can be exposed to the a more competetive style of play, that can only help raise the level of play in Mexico and maybe then the team owner won't go shopping to South America after every season ends, like they do now. con safos tambien just in case
metal and nerg, i cant agreee with you more. you guys mention a few things that are important to developing great national teams. first, right now, there are no real ¨cracks¨in mexico. hugo sanchez was our greatest and no has even come close. having that one crack, particularly a guy that other teams fear can score a goal at any time would make the very good mexican side a great one. second, the more experience abroad would only make our good players really good or great. finally, the coaching situation is rather dismal. el tri sub-23 seems to like the guy (there is an article in emas.com), but everyone else hates lavolpe. this seems to include the players. what is the younger guys win the olympics and play well under lavoples? it seems mexico is in a tight position with ego management. all i know is that is the last thing a national team needs when qualifying for the WC.
Precisely. This Lavolpe fiasco has to stop. The guy contradict himself most of the time, does not know how to deal with the media, wich now a days should be a requirement for any succesful coach, he does not know how to select players, and I am not impressed by his tactics. He has to go. Unfortunately I do not think Hugo is the right person for the job either, and you are right, we are lacking that crack both on the creative mid position and up front, because right now this mexican team has no idea on how to play when they are been pressured.
I came up on this as I was looking for resources for the youth (rec) team that I coach... Just wanted to see if you guys agreed or disagreed with this. Central American Players: crafty, excessive dribblers Characteristics: The ball is moved with short passes and a lot of dribbling. The ball rarely leaves the ground. Overall, ball movement is slow and somewhat predictable. All players have good one-on-one skills. Success: Mexico have been the only worthy representative of this style of football.
I think its fair. I wonder what a North American style is? Also called "possession paralysis" and lack of offensive creativity at the individual level. This is not the norm, but it is known to happen.
I agree with your asertion with the exception of the "all players have good one-on-one skills" if anything I think is quite possible the opposite, sometimes you will see both Mexico and central America teams do a lot of ball possesion but without been creative.