Mexico

Mexico are the lucky participants, alongside host nation South Africa, who will walk out onto the pitch at Johannesburg to kickoff the opening game of this year’s World Cup. The 11th of June at 4 o’clock in the afternoon is not the time to make a cup of tea, as millions of people around the world will be switching the TV on to witness the month long party begin. So whether you have your vuvuzela or sombrero the time has finally arrived.

I say that Mexico are the “lucky” participants in the opening game, yet history shows us that the host nation fairs a lot better than they usually do in the World Cup. 2002 gave us South Korea when the hosts reached the semi-finals. Mexico’s best performances came on home soil in 1970 and 1986 when they reached the quarterfinals. And of course England won in 1966. So whether South Africa are really the nation you want to face in your group is debatable.

South Africa is however one of the worst ranked host nations ever, so Mexico should have been relatively pleased when they got drawn in Group A, as South Africa were technically the seeded team in that group, as opposed to a Brazil, Italy and Spain in others. Yet, the un-seeded France later got drawn in Group A, meaning that the group does field a top international side. Uruguay are the other opponents, and with Forlan on form Mexico could be in real trouble.

Mexico though have qualified for their 5th consecutive World Cup finals, with the previous 4 ending in the last 16. It appears that they are the West Brom of international football, good enough to get promoted from the Championship, but not really good enough to stay in the Premiership. The last 16 is probably the highest they can once more achieve.

Qualifying was not so straight forward as one may expect, with Sven-Goran Eriksson getting the sack after a dismal start to the campaign. Mexico recalled Javier Aguirre who coached the national side in 2002 – to the last 16 – and his experience proved vital, as he guided Mexico into second place in CONCACAF.

Pivotal to the resurgence was bringing back into the side inspirational playmaker Cuauhtemoc Blanco. If you watched the friendly England played against Mexico you will agree with the Mexican medical staff that Blanco is a little overweight, meaning he is unlikely to play the full 90. But the 37year old has over 100caps and 38 goals for his country. And in France 98 he introduced the World to the Cuauhtemina – the ball between the legs bunny hop to skip in between two opposing players. Classic.

Against England they did show some very confident, slick passing football, exemplifying their typical Latino style ability. Arsenal’s Carlos Vela and West Ham’s Guillermo Franco may play integral parts in Mexico’s forward play. However, Javier Hernandez is the main man up front and is evidentially a man to key an eye out for, Sir Alex Ferguson believes so, having snapped up the striker before the World Cup for £6million.

Mexico are captained by Barcelona’s Rafael Marquez, another man with a wealth of experience. The cultured centre-back should control the game from defence, and hopefully will resolve those defensive deficiencies that England opened-up and punished.

El Tri will use their pacy wingers to create opportunities for their lone striker, Hernandez. Giovani Dos Santos failed at Spurs, but his national team play is invariably more consistent. Andres Guardado terrorises the right-wing. The Deportivo winger was viewed as one of the best foreign players outside the “top four” in La Liga. And if one of those two is not performing, Pablo Barrera will be brought on to provide even more speed to a wing.

Mexico play some decent football, yet their defence is not entirely stable when they play a team of greater skill. In any other year, I would suggest that Mexico would once more reach the last 16 of the tournament, qualifying second in the group. Yet, with South Africa hosting the tournament, the opening match may well decide who progresses to that elusive stage of the competition. With home advantage and the whole of the world behind them, Mexico may find themselves overawed by an overly excited South African team.