It might be Aguirre's third stint as Mexico's manager, but he's showing he's still has new tricks up his sleeve.
Rather than believing what someone says, you should look at what they do.
Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said his team wasn’t that bad in the first leg in Honduras. Yet, lost 2-0 and the result was overshadowed by Aguirre leaving the field bleeding after being hit in the head by a can thrown from the stands.
Despite what Aguirre said publicly, his actions suggested otherwise. He made eight changes. Only forward Raul Jimenez, midfielder Edson Alvarez and center back Cesar Montes kept their places in the starting XI for Tuesday’s match in Toluca.
From the opening kick, Mexico immediately showed it was the better team, though some patience was required. That was partly down to Honduras goalkeeper Edrick Menjívar, who once again had a superb night with five saves.
In the end, though, Mexico booked its place in March’s CONCACAF Nations League Final Four with a dominant 4-0 victory that sees it advance with a 4-2 aggregate win.
GettyChange is good, but patience still required
Mexico will still need to improve before its semifinal with Canada, and Tuesday’s result showed that the way to do things is by making changes.
However, patience will still need to be critical with some of the players who were pulled out of the starting XI for the second leg. It’s not that the players who suited up for in Honduras aren’t fit for the national team. In fact, one of the least popular players among fans, midfielder Carlos Rodriguez, was part of the second group that secured the victory Tuesday.
Too often with Mexico, due to various factors, a second, third or fourth opportunity doesn't come for players who aren't able to meet the standard quickly. That will likely be the case in this cycle, too.
“Personally, I think we’re all prepared for an opportunity with the national team and when the moment comes you have to take advantage of it because it might not come twice,” said Toluca attacker Alexis Vega, who also started Tuesday and assisted the third goal of the night in front of his home fans.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportPutting it all together
Aguirre will have to do what international managers often need to do, though, and look at each game on an individual basis. He felt the starting lineup he utilized in San Pedro Sula gave his team the best opportunity to win that match, but saw a team that fell well short.
Now, it’s about blending together the players who excelled and making sure the matchup is right for them to take the field. Even veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, replaced Tuesday by Luis Angel Malagon, has a place in the squad. It’s clear, though, that he should not be the everyday starter.
One of the most important players in the Mexico player pool is center back Johan Vásquez. A left-footed center back who plays regularly in Serie A with Genoa, Vásquez is the best defender El Tri has been able to call on in some time. Yet, he had to miss the November games because of injury. That meant figuring out who the best replacement was for him on the left side.
Getty Images SportBuilding a core
Aguirre, assistant coach Rafa Marquez, and the rest of the Mexico coaching staff now will need to complete the same task with the right-sided center back. Cesar Montes played both matches against Honduras but will miss the Nations League semifinal because of yellow card accumulation.
This is the thankless portion of a national team manager’s job. Aguirre will think, debate, watch videos, try to find hints in the brief moments of training the team has together, and ultimately make his decision.
Yet, simply trying to put the same XI on the field won’t work – even if it’s Mexico’s best XI. This team has too many inconsistent players, and too few immovable stars being tested week-in, week-out on the highest level like Jimenez and Alvarez, not to play chess and hope the opposition is playing checkers.
Getty Images SportLooking ahead
Fortunately for Mexico, the team has qualified for the Nations League Final Four, giving Aguirre competitive matches—along with the 2025 Gold Cup—to find answers to key questions. Missing out on March's games would have been a sporting disaster for both Mexico and CONCACAF, which relies on to fill venues like SoFi Stadium in Southern California.
Now, Aguirre must figure out how much change is needed for El Tri to keep meeting and surpassing the standard. For a manager who was a conservative choice by Mexico, being hired for a third time, his willingness to adjust and adapt is a welcome development.