World Cup Preview: Mexico

In Group A with South Africa, France and Uruguay

Appearances: 13 (Reached Quarterfinals in 1970, 86), Last appearance in 2006.

Current FIFA Ranking (As of Feb.3): 17

Captain: Rafael Marquez (Centre Back)

Leading Scorer in Qualifying: 6 players tied with 3 goals. Pavel Pardo, Jared Borgetti, Fernando Arce, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Andres Guardado, Carlos Vela

Key Injuries: No significant long term injuries.

Key retirements since 2006: Claudio Suarez (Center Back), Jared Borgetti (Striker, retired in 2008)

Team Overview: Mexico makes its' fifth straight World Cup appearance this year. They have been knocked out in the round of 16 four years in a row. The team this is different from previous years due to the massive infusion of young, talented players; mostly in the midfield and forward positions.

Guillermo Ochoa is the clear starter at the keeper position. A smart player, Ochoa possesses long reach and is excellent in covering corners and crosses. His 6-foot frame and excellent reflexes also help in keeping the ball out of the net.

Mexico's central defense is strong with Marquez and Carlos Salcido stifling the opponents forwards. Marquez is considered by many to be the best defender in the country's long history. His passing ability from the back line gets attacks started quickly. The two side backs are a weakness and can be beat by quick wingers so Ochoa will have to be on top of his game.

Mexico's midfield and forwards feature many young players with three of their best forwards under the age of 22. Gerardo Torrado and Cuautemoc Blanco are the elder statesmen among the team and Blanco has the second most goals in Mexican history. Surrounding these two are a multitude of young, albeit massively inexperienced, players. It could be tempting, but unwise to start all of them with the eyes of billions watching them from around the world.

Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Vela will mostly likely be the guys to play in the forward position with Borgetti gone. Both players are quick, agile, and possess powerful shots. In the 2009 Gold Cup final against the United States, Vela scored or assisted in four of Mexico's five goals while dos Santos was named the MVP of the entire tournament. Other players in the mix to see lots of playing time include Andres Guardado, Javier Hernandez and Giovani's younger brother, 19-year-old Jonathan dos Santos.



Player to Watch: Cuauhtemoc Blanco is unquestionably the heart and soul of the team. Blanco actually retired from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup, but terrible performances by Mexico in the early stages of 2010 World Cup qualifying led coach Javier Aguirre to ask his former player to return to the team. Before Blanco's return, Mexico had lost three of it's first four games. After Blanco was placed back into the lineup, Mexico went undefeated in its' remaining games. They won five games in row before playing a 2-2 draw in their final qualifying match. Blanco is 37-years-old so playing the full 90 minutes as the main cog in the offense will be a tough task. If Blanco is healthy and on form, Mexico stands a much better chance of getting into the knockout rounds.

Prediction: Knocked out during the group stage.

The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.

Match Schedule