By DAN KARELL
Even though they wouldn’t be mathematically eliminated from World Cup qualification on Friday night, Mexico’s match against Panama at Estadio Azteca represents as close to a must-win as they’ve felt in years.
That’s the challenge on hand for new head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich, who must produce results in his first two matches in charge or else Mexico could fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since they were suspended from World Cup 1990 in Italy.
In a bid to add some new life to the listless El Tri sides from earlier this season, Vucetich has recalled former captain Rafa Marquez as well as goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, while leaving off unfit or out-of-form European-based players like Diego Reyes, Andres Guardado, and domestic-based centerback Francisco “Maza” Rodriguez.
Twice this summer at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Panama defeated Mexico’s B team, but Los Canaleros will be in for a different challenge in the smog and altitude of Mexico City. Playing the match in the evening should help, but Panama’s star strikers Blas Perez and Gabriel Torres, combining their speed and strength, should look at the uneasy and unfamiliar Mexico back line with big eyes.
Panama head coach Julio Dely Valdes knows that if they can steal a point on the road against Mexico and hope for a good result against the United States on Tuesday, they can finish in fourth place and qualify through the playoffs. And he’ll be buoyed by the 0-0 draw that Panama earned when the two nations met in June.
Earlier on Friday, Honduras will try to ensure an automatic place in Brazil when they host Costa Rica in the heat of San Pedro Sula.
It’s the third time that these two nations have faced each other during this calendar year, with the Ticos winning the first in San Jose, Costa Rica in June but the Catrachos enacted some revenge at the Gold Cup a month later to knock Costa Rica out of the tournament.
Both countries have called in experienced sides for the final two World Cup qualifying matches, and with a win on Friday, Honduras can all but secure a spot in Brazil with 14 points from nine games.
Catrachos head coach Luis Fernando Suarez can earn the nation just their third ever World Cup appearance. At a press conference this week, Suarez told reporters that he doesn’t believe Costa Rica would play easy to let Honduras win, and that he’s glad that the team has destiny in their own hands, without having to worry about the results of others.
No score at the half between Costa Rica and Honduras.
Remember the talent gap everyone was discussing after the Olympics?
Read a tweet earlier today that only 40% of the tickets had been sold so far for the Mexico match tonight
Godspeed Panama!!! Best of luck Honduras!
I just hope Panama at least manage a draw. Then a desperate Mexico goes to a Costa Rica side wanting to prove itself as a giant of CONCACAF (and the first half dismantling of the US did an ok job of that) and ends up on the end of a debilitating loss that keeps them out of the WC. Bad for CONCACAF? Maybe for the revenue, but we were never going to get seeded and probably never will as it’s too much of a handicap playing outside of Europe and South America so I don’t see how it’s bad for CONCACAF. If Argentina played like crap in their qualifying they wouldn’t deserve it either, despite the quality, and if Honduras and Panama (or maybe New Zealand) perform better then they deserve it. Doesn’t matter that their history isn’t as flashy.
If Argentina played like crap in their qualifying and did not qualify..
They could always go play for Mexico
What the Panamanian Coach said I wonder if they will play the Argentinian national anthem before the game. lol
Ha! In an soccer America article the coach of panama is quoted as saying they he didn’t know if Mexico was going to play the Mexican national anthem or the national anthem of Argentina because of all the naturalized Argentinans brought into the team recently
I was surprised at the size of the Argentinean population in Mexico, must have been the economic collapse of the early 2000s.
Then you wonder why they are so acrimonious towards each other when it comes to football.
I will keep my comment, Mexico is a mortal lock to finish in the top 16 of the WCup, they do it every time.
So far the jinx is working….