Slowing down Team USA and Canada a priority for El Tri
Canada made El Tri’s midfield look slow and staid, so “Tata” might need to think about inserting younger legs.
Andrés Guardado, 35, and Héctor Herrera, 31 have been mainstays in the middle, but the speed and quickness of Mexico’s next two opponents pose a real challenge for these two veterans.
Herrera has made only three appearances in La Liga this season (just one start), seeing a total of 148 minutes of action, and just 15 more in Atlético de Madrid’s two UEFA Champions League contests. He is no longer the box-to-box threat he once was and his play for El Tri has been in gradual decline since Brazil 2014.
Guardado is a savvy football player and a real leader, but age and wear-and-tear have caught up to him. There is possibly still a spot for him on the roster if El Tri qualifies for Qatar, but “Tata” needs to match the speed and quickness of the U.S. and Canada and “El Principito” can no longer supply that.
While Edson Álvarez is assuredly going to anchor the El Tri midfield for another 6-8 years, “Tata” must avoid sentimentality in selecting Edson’s line-mates going forward.
Luis Romo, 26, and Carlos Rodríguez, 24, (both bronze-medal winners) are ready, willing and able to step into the line-up. Romo played all over the midfield in helping Cruz Azul win the Liga MX title last season, equally as effective as a disruptor and joining the attack. He seems destined for Europe in the near future and would appear to be the heir apparent to Herrera.
“Charlie” is a smart, precocious star-in-the-making. He rarely is found out of position and he reads the field with aplomb.