“There is no such thing as a nation on the earth that retains a lot stress on a nationwide staff coach,” Juan Carlos Osorio, a Colombian, stated of Mexico earlier than he coached it on the 2018 World Cup.
Martino, 60, who’s Argentine, has expressed an analogous sentiment, and all through this yr he has pushed again at what he perceived as detrimental questions and challenged the narrative surrounding his staff.
Throughout a information convention the day earlier than Mexico’s opening match in opposition to Poland on Tuesday, Martino was requested in regards to the staff’s lack of depth. He took concern with the premise. Ochoa, 37, known as protection of the staff “a present,” and stated, “We don’t even discuss in regards to the sport anymore.”
Added Vela, 33: “The eagerness is so sturdy in Mexico that actuality is misplaced a bit. Individuals solely wish to see you win and win by loads of targets and to roll by way of groups. If not, individuals wish to fireplace somebody.”
In an effort to enhance the staff’s psychological method earlier than the final World Cup, Mexico’s soccer federation and Osorio employed what they known as a psychological coach forward of their journey to Russia. Requested if the transfer had helped, Vela stated, “We didn’t advance, so that you draw your conclusion from that.”
Hirving Lozano, a ahead who performs his membership soccer at PSV Eindhoven within the Netherlands, stated Mexico’s failure to win a knockout stage sport was consistently on his thoughts. Fairly than hiding from that file, Ochoa stated it was necessary to speak in regards to the subject “with out worry.”
After outplaying Poland however settling for a scoreless draw, Mexico will meet an outdated foe, Argentina, on Saturday. Herrera stated his staff was motivated to transcend its previous, for the gamers and their nation.
“We haven’t superior and we wish to go additional,” Ochoa stated, “and we’re going to attempt to.”