By RYAN TOLMICH
Mexico manager Miguel Herrera sees no issue with members of El Tri following in the footsteps of forward Erick ‘Cubo’ Torres.
Torres, who will join the Houston Dynamo in the summer, made his name with a breakout campaign in 2014 that saw the 22-year-old forward net 15 goals for Chivas USA. Buoyed by good form in MLS, Torres earned his first call-up to the Mexican national team under Herrara.
While El Tri’s brightest stars have generally plied their trade either domestically or in Europe, Herrera said Wednesday that he is fine with his players following in the footsteps of Torres with a move to MLS.
“That’s a decision made only and exclusively by the player and his representatives,” Herrera told FutbolMLS.com’s Tiro Libre Radio. “They should be looking for the best option possible, so long as the player is seeing the field. I’ve always said that MLS is growing, and every day it’s much more solid, much stronger and more competitive, so it’s an option [for players], but it is they who have to decide in the end.”
Herrara’s comments are in contrast to those from U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who has said he has been involved in decisions about where American players compete on the club level.
Torres, meanwhile, remains in Herrera’s plans heading into the Copa America this summer, despite the forward’s struggles. Herrera insists that Torres still has plenty of time to play his way onto the team for looks in both tournament and friendly contests in the near future.
“We’ll see. The other day he came in during a Copa MX game and played very well and scored a goal,” said Herrera. “He is maintaining that hunger and wants to be part of our group. He’s still in the picture. We can’t get count him out yet. There’s still another five rounds of matches in Mexico before I have to name my roster for the upcoming FIFA fixtures and two-months-and-a-half for the Copa America squad.”
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What do you think of Herrara’s comments about MLS? Would you like to see more Mexican players in MLS? What do you think lies ahead for Torres?
Share your thoughts below.
This guy is saying all the right words for a future interview. . . .
I’d like to see him do more of those Ska videos
The difference between Mexico’s 3-5-2 and USA’s 5-3-2 is technical skill/ability by the central-midfielders.
Mexico’s central-midfielders are much better technically and therefore can maintain possession more. USA’s central-mids in the 3-5-2 (Yes I Know Its Just A One-Game Sample Size In This Formation) got easily overrun by a domestic Chile squad so it quickly became a 5-3-2. That has to improve. Of course I blame this on Jurgen K’s line-up selection. You cant have Dempsey and Mix together as 2 of your 3 central-mids. Dempsey is more of a forward/attacking-mid not a ball retention/distribution type of midfielder!
With the available players in this camp, the line-up should have been something like:
—————-Altidore——————Dempsey————————-
——————————-Mix Disk———————————-
———————–Bradley——–Jones————————-
Shea——————————————————–Yedlin
—————–Besler——-P Kitchen—–Birnbaum———-
——————————-Rimando——————————–
Ideally, I would rather have someone like G Cameron or T Ream or M Edu as that middle center-back and have O. Gonzalez in Birnbaum’s spot for the aerial dominance.
Also ideal would be: F Johnson, T Chandler, E Castillo, and A Bedoya available for the wing-back spots.
I think you hit the nail in the head.
Ream played decently against Liverpool yesterday. He did mangle a couple of clearances, but that seems to be an MNT speciality (see Cameron against Portugal). Both men are good fits in a either a 5-3-2 or 3-5-2. It does seems odd that Ream hasn’t been in the discussion more ( I think he was called up for that Ukraine fixture in March, 2014 but his wife was due to deliver). Besler has been crap IMO since Lukaku torched him on that first Belgium goal. He was terrible in the 2nd half of MLS and he has been mediocre with the Nats since the WC (so to have most of the players in the pool). I see Ream’s stock going up and Besler’s going down. Ream is going to end up w/in a year of transferring to a top league like the EPL, League 1, or the Bundeslega.
Hmmm why would there have been an issue in the first place? After all MLS is far superior to any Euro leagues or Liga MX.
I actually see ligaMX doing the same moves as MLS. I know ligaMX fans get insulted when I say this but ligaMX will copy MLS in the next years and I know MLS has copy other leagues in the world but don’t compare how old each league is.
MLS is 20 years old and ligaMX wants to be like them. For example, their mexican D1 and D2 got a new name and logo.
The mexican federation wants to host 2026 World Cup and by then they plan to remodel and have new stadiums and have 20 teams to 22 teams in D1.
Right now Mexicos D1 has 3 new stadiums that are world class, santos torreon, chivas Guadalajara and the new Monterrey rayados stadium.
Stadiums that will be remodel in D1 are Toluca, Puebla and for sure estadio azteca.
Then you have teams in mexicos D1 that have stadiums that just need some money and modern touches and they will look flashy.
That’s why MLS should keep expanding, go up to 30 or 32 teams and have a proper D2 and D3. Not only that but make every MLS team have an academy and a “USL pro team”
By MLS expanding and working with a D2 and D3, and having a proper MLS draft, then MLS will leave Mexico behind.
Not only that, but MLS shouldn’t water down the season with having a weird schedule where teams play each other 3 times (wtf) .
If MLS expands to 32 teams with 16 teams in each conference, then ligaMX will be no match and they would have to expand and copy MLS.
With 32 teams you can steal all the talent from Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Ecuador, Asia, middle Europe countries and have a very powerful league.
Imagine having a 32 team league, 16 in each conference ( each team plays TWICE vs their conference and around 8 inter league games making a total of 38 games a season plus playoffs)Top 7 in each conference with first seed having a bye and first round being a knock out round. Then from there how ever the league wants to do it.
By having 32 teams, I believe you can create the same environment for the playoffs like the nfl does and how the Uefa champions does also. Plus having MLS cup week like Super Bowl week with media from all over the world and on national tv. ( even a half time performance 🙂 )
Somebody is off his meds again.
There’s a reason people laugh at you, not just Mexican fans.
The LigaMX rebrand was brought about due to their partnership with Banco BBVA, hence the name; LigaMX or Liga BBVA.
This recent transfer window, LigaMX spent more than clubs in France and Italy.
Tom Marshall did a great breakdown of the South American players that moved to LigaMX in January, It’s a great read. Overpaying for domestic talent is the route MLS wants to take and that is not going to propel us past LigaMX.
I don’t know what you’re smoking but I want some of it.
I watch and read about ligaMX, and know what you’re saying sir but trust me, ligamx is afraid of MLS taking their money and players. MLS will be better than ligaMX in 10 years but for sure ligaMX will be looking at what MLS is doing.
My team is unam from ligaMX since I was born due to my fathers relatives attending unam university in Mexico City and I know what’s going in with ligaMX.
Did you know ligaMX almost went to 16 teams due to money and sponsor issues but television networks like televisa and tvazteca saved the league.
I’m not sure you actually know much about LigaMX, given your comments. If you did, you would know that the Mexicans have always followed the Argentine model and since MLS is a single entity enterprise, LigaMX would NEVER look towards MLS as a model, financially speaking.
You somehow made a connection between Monterrey building a new stadium and MLS in a previous post. Do you understand what a stretch that is?
I lived in Mexico for ten years, eight in Mexico City and two in Guadalajara.
LigaMX has an established business model, one MLS is not really close to overtaking given the product that is put out on the field. If what you (and plenty of others) say is true and MLS will surpass LigaMX in the next ten years, it means MLS would have to win the next ten CCLs. All of them. It would also require a serious investment in youth development just to even things out with what LigaMX has done.
I really, really want some of what you’re smoking.
No, just six of the CCLs. 😉
you talk about watering down and yet fail to see that having 32 teams will do the same. You also failed to look at quality over quantity when you stated that LMX would be no match with a 32 team league.
Herrera for USMNT!!! Jurgen OUT!
He would be perfect for MLS and the national team. He has the charisma and soccer brains to exceed in MLS and the US national team.
As a matter of fact, he doesn’t want to return to ligaMX as a coach after his mexico national team adventure. He wants to go to Europe, like Spain and coach there and follow ex-Mexico coach Aguirres path.
I also think some MLS team should hire Aguirre after his betting scandal is resolved. Aguirre would be top class for any team in MLS, maybe LA2 can get him or Miami. Aguirre also has very good connections around the world and would do wonders in MLS.