GROUP A
BRAZIL
CROATIA
MEXICO
CAMEROON
POSSIBLE STARTING XI
MOISES MUNOZ
Goalkeeper
He possesses passing
accuracy and aerial
ability; he has a good
penalty stopping
ability as well.
RAFAEL MARQUEZ
Centre midfielder
Marking a fourth
World Cup stin: From
pariah and outcast to
World Cup lock and
captain.
F RODRIGUEZ
Defender
He is armed with
long experience and
one of the lynchpins of
the Mexican national
side.
PAUL AGUILAR
Left-back
An offensive-minded
defender with
exceptional pace who
can overlap other
midfielders.
THE KEY PLAYER: Javier Hernandez, a young striker whose ability to sniff out goals makes him a starter
MEXICO
FIXTURES
June 13, Natal
Versus Cameroon
June 17, Fortaleza
Versus Brazil
June 24, Recife
Versus Croatia
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Beat New Zealand in
intercontinental playoff
WORLD CUP RECORD
1970 Quarter-Final
1986 Quarter-Final
APPEARANCES
15 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1958,
1962, 1966, 1970, 1978,
1986, 1994, 1998, 2002,
2006, 2010, 2014)
FIFA WORLD RANKING
19th (May 2014)
Mexico qualified for the 2014 World Cup thanks
to a convincing 9-3 aggregate win against New
Zealand in the playoffs.
Up until that point though, Mexico had struggled to score
goals during the qualifying group phase. Despite this El Tri
are a team that possesses plenty of attacking talent. This
though will put much strain on the three centre backs in the
newly implement 5-3-2 system.
A lot will depend on veteran centre back and captain
Rafael Marquez who will need to marshal his team
exceptionally well. With a new coach, not much is known
about how Mexico will play but an attacking style based on
rampaging wing-backs is most probable.
This is a sensible option as changes in management have
been plentiful as of late for the mexicans. Organisational will
be difficult to instil and as such an offensively founded tactical
base will suit them.
Given the talent Mexico possess, they should be
considered a team who can reach the knockout stages. But
due to recent flat performances, inconsistency and poor form
of several key squad members, it is hard to see them causing
any serious damage.
Now that they have qualified, they must figure out how to
get back on track, or their time at the World Cup will be very
brief.
THE COACH
MIGUEL HERRERA
He won the intercontinental playoff and got Mexico
to the World Cup. They beat New Zealand by an
aggregate score of 9-3 while using a squad completely
composed of domestic-based players. He made waves
by calling up mostly Club América players for the
playoff, as he was familiar with them as coach of the
team, but his gambit was ultimately successful. He will
be expected to restore pride to the team.
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t h e g a m e sports magazine
HECTOR MORENO
Defender
An excellent man
marker, the defender
is comfortable with
the ball at his feet and
formidable in the air.
MIGUEL LAYUN
Defender
He has been a thriving
force in the attack. He
can play as a left-back
or right-back with the
same effectiveness.
RAUL JIMENEZ
Forward
Renowned for his
superb aerial game
and physical prowess.
He is Mexico’s latest
sensation.
JUAN MEDINA
Midfielder
He is El Tri’s deepest
midfielder. His mere
presence alone can
spell the big diffence
for the entire squad.
GIOVANI DOS SANTOS
Midfielder
Few Mexican players
have achieved as
much at international
level as him. He is a
talented playmaker.
ORIBE PERALTA
Striker
He is lethal around
the box and is
arguably the top
impact player set to
take the pitch.
JAVIER HERNANDEZ
Striker
He is Mexico’s key
attacking weapon.
Hernandez has made
himself as a potent
goal poacher.