New coach Juan Carlos Osorio has assembled his first roster for Mexico's national team, and there are a few hints as to his approach toward the team that are now evident.
First of all, it's clear that Osorio recognizes the team is on a positive roll of late, going undefeated in Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti's interim tenure of four games, including the crucial match against the USA to win a Confederations Cup spot. There's no need to figuratively blow up the roster with wholesale changes, so Osorio has avoided doing so.
However, there are tweaks which are distinctly his own, since Osorio has definitely not replicated Ferretti's roster completely.
The most noise surrounds two players: one whom Osorio added to his roster, namely goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, and one Osorio didn't, Giovani dos Santos.
For many, that double decision was easily explained by a quick look at where the players perform. Ochoa trains, but doesn't generally start matches, for Malaga in Spain's prestigious La Liga. Dos Santos plays in Major League Soccer for the LA Galaxy.
@LAGalaxyInsider His move to the #MLS might cost him what once was a lock in on #ElTri call ups.
- Alex (@acampos1981) November 5, 2015
However, it would seem hypocritical of Osorio to disparage and deny opportunities to player options from a league he coached in with the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls. The fact is that Dos Santos struggled with a nagging adductor injury toward the end of the MLS season. Acute adductor strains can become chronic strains if proper time is not allowed for healing, so Osorio could simply be allowing Dos Santos added recovery time.
While it's obviously more ideal for a player to be getting regular game time, goalkeepers rely on reflex fitness more than field players do, so Ochoa's time on the bench, while not helpful to his form, isn't a complete killer for it, either. Ochoa proved at this summer's Gold Cup that he can still be effective even without regular matches, so Osorio's willingness to bring him into camp to possibly earn a spot seems quite reasonable.
Some fans have lamented Mexico's seeming inability to keep a coach on board for a full four-year tenure, but what might have gone unnoticed is a few strange side benefits of the leadership turmoil. One, players have learned to be adaptable. Two, there's more competition for positions and less entrenched favorites and formations with a revolving door of coaches. Finally, both players and coaches feel accountable in a culture that makes it clear that poor performances and results won't be tolerated for long at all.
Osorio's tendency to tinker with players and formations might actually be a weird hybrid of Mexico's recent past. One coach who likes to experiment with changes in formations and tactics may not feel much stranger in practice than five different coaches with different approaches to the game.
Perhaps also as a way to prove that he has been studying the domestic league closely, Osorio brought in two players from the Liga MX top team at present, Pumas UNAM. Defender Luis Fuentes and midfielder Alejandro Castro will have plenty of competition at their position, but Osorio is giving them a chance to prove themselves at the international level should encourage every Mexican player in the league who might be fearful of being overlooked by the Colombian coach.
One player whom Osorio didn't call in may yet turn out to be the one who most exemplifies the shift to a new generation of players. Veteran Rafael Marquez is currently injured, but if Osorio finds that other defensive options are performing well while Marquez recovers, Osorio may not find it necessary to call on him in the future.
All in all, the choices by Osorio were quite reasonable, and thus, it's not surprising that the reaction from pundits and fans was also rather measured, indicative of a "let's wait and see what he can do" approach. The knives will be out for Osorio if he falls short soon enough, but a honeymoon period will only begin for supporters who wanted a bigger name if Osorio starts to win immediately and impressively.
@BigGuero76 Oh well. Let's hope that the fast-paced Jürgen Damm puts amazing performances with #ElTri
- ⚽Selección Mexicana⚽ (@MexicoStats_Tri) November 6, 2015
Yet, even if the general response to Osorio's list was a collective shrug, that doesn't mean the coach gets a pass on what comes next. The problem with being the newcomer to a squad that was doing fine rather than arriving to a disaster as a potential savior is that the margin for screwing up a good thing is far bigger than the space in which to improve it.
Yeah, Profe Osorio, you probably have Mexico's best generation of footballers.
- Nayib Morán (@nayibmoran) November 4, 2015