Friendly matches in March will not win Mexico any championships

Runme, CA (Apr 1, 2015) US Soccer Players - Two friendly matches in March will not win Mexico any championships, Visit Runeme.com for more football news and informations, you will have fun there.

However, the games could go a long way in helping sort out what El Tri will look like when silverware is on the line. If the friendly matches were really opportunities for players to win spots for the Copa America or the Gold Cup, then Miguel Herrera’s work should nearly be complete.

Several players had strong performances while Mexico overall played well against South American rivals Ecuador and Paraguay. El Tri beat both by the same 1-0 score line.

CROWNING A KEEPER

Jesus Corona should start in the Gold Cup. Yes, Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa is the fan favorite and has stepped up time and again in big matches for Mexico but Corona is the sharper keeper. Ochoa was unable to play in either match due to his early return home for the birth of his child. Instead, Ochoa watched from the bench as Corona played superbly against Ecuador.

The clincher was Corona’s late penalty-kick save. Corona kept the clean sheet when he turned away ex-Chivas USA forward Miller Bolanos in the 71st minute of the match.

Overall, Corona looked composed and confident, traits that come with playing time. Ochoa has not played a competitive match since January. This was his opportunity to play once again and he was unable to do so. Mexico’s next match is on April 15 against the United States. The match does not fall on a FIFA date so Herrera will face some obstacles in trying to get European-based players across the pond for that encounter. If Ochoa is there, that would perhaps be his final audition, but even if he does make it the job should be Corona’s to lose.

If anything, these last two friendlies showed that Mexico have a deep squad and should be a handful for rivals in both the United States and South America.