PASADENA, Calif. -- It is mission accomplished for Mexico interim head coach Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti.
The Tigres UANL manager was invited to take over the national team for four games back in August, with the central focus Saturday's CONCACAF Cup against the United States. Now with the 3-2 extra-time victory in the bag, Ferretti only has Tuesday's match against Panama in Toluca, before he swans off back to Tigres.
"I feel good for having accomplished what [Mexican federation president] Decio [De Maria] and [general secretary] Memo [Cantu] entrusted me to do along with the players, which was to obtain the pass to the Confederations Cup in Russia," said a beaming Ferretti after the match.
"Turning in good results makes me very tranquil and satisfied."
The epic match against the United States swung both ways, before a Paul Aguilar volley two minutes from the end of extra-time settled the match in Mexico's favor. Naturally, Ferretti was asked if he wasn't now regretting his decision to only take the job on a part-time basis.
"Honestly, I don't," he stated. "I've never been a person to say something and later regret it."
Ferretti piled praise onto his players, saying Rafa Marquez and Andres Guardado put in a "superhuman" effort to get fit after injuries and that the performance left him satisfied.
"Regardless of the result, when your team goes out and does things well, it is very satisfying, I feel good about what they did and it was a deserved result," Ferretti said, also praising the United States.
"In the lapse of 120 minutes we did a little more to deserve the triumph and thanks to God it came."
The respect Ferretti has for the Mexico players was emphasized by the coach both before and after the game, and was reciprocated on Saturdday by both Guardado and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona who praised Tuca for coming in at short notice and helping the team.
Looking on in the stands on Saturday was incoming Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Ferretti said he should be given time to work and that he was a "well-prepared and educated" coach.