KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jesus Duenas, Meliton Hernandez and Eduardo Herrera sat sheepishly alongside Mexico manager Miguel Herrera on Monday in the news conference ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Paraguay in Arrowhead Stadium.
They looked more like they were there to give evidence in court than a trio of players on the eve of arguably the biggest game of their careers, in which all will start. Alongside them, coach Herrera -- true to his persona -- cracked jokes and lightened the mood.
Perhaps the players looked so serious, at least in part, because they know Tuesday's match against Paraguay offers each a huge opportunity to impress and consolidate a place this summer in either the Gold Cup, or, more likely, in the Copa America, depending on how coach Herrera splits up his squads. It is a massive game for each of them, individually.
Here's an inside look at the three Liga MX-based stars ahead their first starts in a Mexico shirt.
Jesus Duenas
Age: 26 | Club: Tigres | Position: RWB
Herrera compared Duenas' versatility to that of Carlos Salcido on Monday, and it is one of the Tigres man's biggest assets.
Duenas can play either in central midfield -- usually as a holding player -- or at right back and has done both with notable success at Tigres over the past couple of years. Fans of the Monterrey-based club have clamoured for his inclusion in the national team of late, and it is deserved.
On Tuesday, however, he'll play as a right wing back, and as much as both player and coach accentuated the positives of the situation on Monday, the position Paul Aguilar plays in Mexico's first team is a difficult one to dominate. Getting the attacking and defensive balance right is key, and Duenas isn't as threatening going forward as Aguilar is.
"What's important for me is to have players that can play in different positions," Herrera stressed.
The well-spoken Duenas fits the bill and could become a regular in the squad in the future, especially with not many other obvious candidates aside from Aguilar and Pachuca's Rodolfo Pizarro for the right wing back position.
Meliton Hernandez
Age: 32 | Club: Veracruz | Position: GK
The 32-year-old has played most of his career in Mexico's second division, and even after helping Leon to promotion in 2012, he was replaced by youngster William Yarbrough, who has just been called up to the United States national team.
"Soccer is the present," Hernandez explained of his rapid rise. "I'm at a stage where things have fallen into line, and I'm very thankful to Miguel Herrera for having watched Veracruz."
This call-up is all about Hernandez's form. The Tiburones Rojos keeper has been enjoying an exceptional Clausura 2015 for his club and has been a major factor in his unfancied team sitting in second place with the best defensive record in the Liga MX.
Nevertheless, competition is stiff and there is pressure on Hernandez to show he can step up. Jesus Corona's performance against Ecuador in last Saturday's 1-0 victory likely shunts the Cruz Azul player into pole position in Herrera's mind, and Guillermo Ochoa is not far behind. Then there are the likes of Alfredo Talavera, Jonathan Orozco, Cirilo Saucedo and Moises Munoz, all of whom Herrera has praised in recent months.
Eduardo Herrera
Age: 26 | Club: Pumas | Position: FWD
There was a running joke on social media after Mexico's 1-0 win last Saturday, with users suggesting Herrera should've been given the player of the game. In fact, he was on the field exactly 11 seconds before the referee blew the final whistle. Not that he seemed bothered, even if it was a slightly strange national team debut.
"Everyone would've wanted to get on, even if it was for seconds," Herrera said. "Now the opportunity to play from the start has presented itself, and you have to enjoy it."
Herrera brings an added dimension to Mexico's forward line, a more physical presence with some similarities to Chivas' Aldo de Nigris, who has fallen from the national team picture. Alongside Raul Jimenez, El Tri's front line will be a very different proposition than on Saturday, with the speedy and tricky duo of Giovani Dos Santos and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez.
"In training, we've understood each other well," Herrera said on his partnership with Jimenez. "Now we are both starting and we have to try to put into practice tomorrow what we did in the week.
For Herrera, too, the jockeying for places is tough, with the fact Carlos Vela and Oribe Peralta are not in the squad this time around leaving the door open.
The mature Pumas striker is most likely bidding to get ahead of the likes of Erick "Cubo" Torres and Javier Orozco to make one of the squads this summer.