And another 'proceso' started, the Tata one
Conclusions from Mexico-Chile, notes on style and players' disposition
Before I begin this analysis, let me thank you for taking the time to add your e-mail and sharing the last two newsletters. If you’re new, welcome and hope you enjoy what we’re trying to produce at De Lejitos.
So as I write these first passages of this in-depth report on Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s debut as Mexico manager, I will admit that the last hours have been quite interesting, with all the March Madness going on. Zion Williamson and Duke will take the court in a couple of hours, so there’s time and space to write a little bit.
I’m trying something new here.
What’s coming up are notes before the game in San Diego even takes place (believe me, that’s how it went down). We’re going to offer several observations before the ball starts rolling. I will base off my analysis from the projected XI Tom Marshall offered on Thursday night:
Before the match starts…
The shape of the starting line-up looks like a 4-3-3 when going forward. Because Rodolfo Pizarro is an attacker that has a tendency to give pause to the game, it will be intriguing to follow how he connects with Raúl Jiménez and Chucky Lozano. If there’s someone that knows how Chucky likes to move in the final third, that’s Pizarro, who saw him grow up with Los Tuzos.
However, the surprise is Edson Álvarez in the midfield. Although he’s been playing many times as defensive midfielder with America since the final against Cruz Azul, it feels like a surprise because it looks like Martino is willing to give the 21-year-old the keys to El Tri’s midfield.
It’s a huge statement of intent because what Álvarez offers is the ability to interchange roles of defensive midfielder and center-back. So what does that mean? That with an initial midfield that includes Álvarez, Charly Rodríguez and Andrés Guardado, Martino does envision the possibility of slotting Álvarez as a third center-back, specifically in plays where the opponent recuperates the ball in dangerous areas, allowing to execute a quick counter-attack.
One of the best performances in the Juan Carlos Osorio era was that friendly against Belgium, which finished 3-3. Álvarez came onto the pitch in the 59th minute, replacing Diego Reyes. He played until the 89th minute because he suffered a minor ankle injury that prevented him to finish the game. In that match, we confirmed that Álvarez had all the skills to take on the role as one of El Tri’s defensive midfield options.
Here are the most important highlights from that match in Brussels. I’ve decided to start the video exactly at 22:19 to get a sense of El Tri’s best moments in the game, but to also put emphasis on Álvarez’s 30 minutes on the pitch. Chucky’s goals were electrifying, but Álvarez’s reading of the game stood out, especially for someone who at the time was barely in his early twenties.
So let’s begin.
In this snapshot, Edson places himself in a central area between the defenders and attackers. Héctor Herrera is a couple of steps in front of him, but you get the idea, which area of the field Edson will need to be asking for the ball, or where he’ll need to destroy opponent’s play.
In this second image, Edson is trying to interpret how he can collaborate in offensive play. Notice that there are three Mexico attackers in the box, with another three outside of it. Carlos Salcedo, who played as right-back, was tracking back, but he was still part of the build-up of this play.
In this third snapshot, Edson is in the heart of the pitch, and he’s starting a play with Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku closing in. This is an area where we might see Edson get a lot of touches on the ball against Chile, so this is where players like Rodríguez, Guardado and Pizarro, all of whom have a good sense of association, will need to be open to receive Álvarez’s pass.
This play happened in the 80th minute, when the scoreboard read 3-3. Edson received a pass from Chucky at the edge of the box, but he couldn’t get a good first-touch on the ball, ending the play with a scramble when it could have turned into a great scoring opportunity to go up 4-3. This is almost the same exact area where he scored his first goal against Cruz Azul in the 2018 Apertura final. True, he didn’t attract as many markers as he did in this play, but you can tell that he learn a lot from this missed opportunity.
And lastly, a special emphasis on how he tracks back and slots himself as another center-back. He’s worked on this aspect a lot lately, especially with Las Aguilas, where his ability to interpret the team’s needs has become a valuable asset for the rest of his teammates.
One thing to note after watching these scenes from Brussels, it’s critical to have a decent pitch to take on the demands of the game. Also, it’s unfortunate that Álvarez couldn’t get more looks as defensive midfielder in the World Cup, but did you notice how important Néstor Araujo was throughout this match? Araujo wasn’t able to make it, and his absence definitely messed up a lot of Osorio’s initial World Cup plans.
Álvarez’s interpretation of the game will be influential in how El Tri displays Martino’s ideas.
In defense, the presence of Carlos Salcedo is key. His time at Tigres has started on a high note:
I understand the people that believe that Salcedo has the quality to still be in a European club, but his state of mind is also important. If he’s in peace by playing in Liga MX and having his family back in Mexico, then there’s no way or form to criticize his decision. He seems to be reaching a good level, and his past experiences will be valuable for this XI that includes four players, whose first World Cup appearance took place last year: Salcedo, Edson, Chucky and Jesús Gallardo.
On the Chaka vs. Fernando Navarro debate
In my opinion, there’s not much that separates Chaka from Navarro. The differences could be minimal, so small that the edge Chaka might have over Navarro is that the Tigres defender is more apt in defensive duties.
Because when you analyze Chaka and Navarro’s offensive abilities, the Leon full-back might have an edge. I will admit I haven’t closely analyzed this rivalry; I haven’t watched every single Tigres or Leon game in this 2019 Clausura, but I did closely observed Leon’s recent game against Veracruz.
And in that match, Navarro got an assist. Like Chaka, Navarro has a great ability to interiorizar, to get into a more central role when breaking into the attack, allowing the wingers to take on one-on-ones in the flanks. Their positioning opens up space.
In slotting Chaka into the XI, there’s an element of experience that Tata wants to include in the line-up. It makes sense to include two players that play in the same club like Chaka and Salcedo into the backline of four.
I look forward on seeing how much Chaka and Gallardo participate in the team’s offense, but I will also take note on how much Navarro could have accomplished had he been in Chaka’s place. Also, will America’s Jorge Sánchez play as right-back or left-back with Tata’s Tri?
After the game…
Signs from Belgium came back. El Tri played with a lot of flare and confidence, but this time it didn’t concede three goals. During his presser on Friday, Martino used a lot the word — ilusión — which I think is a better word than hope. Because ilusión is something that’s produced from visions that you create in your mind and want to work as hard as you can to put them on display. When you lose ilusión, it’s difficult to produce something worthwhile. With Tata in command, El Tri has a whole lot of ilusión, and it was noticeable through the pressing and intensity it showed whenever it didn’t have the ball. It was a clear sign of what Tata expects from his players, a sense of not giving up.
That first half could have ended with Chile up 1-0 had it not been for a Guillermo Ochoa save. It was a moment that set the tone for the rest of his teammates. But overall that first half gave the impression that the players understood Martino’s concepts. It was an immediate realization of what they were supposed to do, and the entirety of the line-up got on the ball and attempted to keep the ball for long possession lapses. Of course, there were errors on some of those passes. Some players were more on point with their passes, than others. Some moved to the right space, while others missed the chance. But the intention was obvious.
After the match, Martino shared his thoughts on individual performances and gave his picks on the best of the night.
Surprisingly, none of his picks got on the scoresheet. What they provided was stability to the style. With Pizarro, he has these moments of genius that just come out of nowhere like that back-heel pass to Guardado, or his assist in Chucky’s chipped goal. What stood out from him was his understanding of how he could cause danger because he doesn’t possess that deadly speed that players like Chucky or Lainez have, what he controls well is that ability to create a key pass from a difficult situation. Martino offered him liberty in the final third, and he made the best of it.
Rodríguez and Álvarez provided balance to El Tri, which was hard to spot throughout the 90 minutes because Chile has several great midfielders of its own, one of them is a key midfielder for Ernesto Valverde’s Barça. Rodríguez was sharp with his passing, while Edson had more successes with his defensive duels.
As noted earlier in the report, Álvarez is a player that has shown capabilities to play the defensive midfield role, but it is a challenge for him to be a lone defensive midfielder. I think that he will need more repetitions in that position because his understanding with the center-backs will need to improve, his passing distribution will need to be more smooth and he will need to be more confident conducting the ball like Hector Moreno showed in that play that saw him go across the field, ending a play with a weak cross. When you see Arturo Vidal play, there’s a certain level of grit and assuredness he transmits that’s contagious. Well, Álvarez has certain details that are similar to Vidal in that regard because no dan un balón por perdido. That distinction could help Álvarez turn into a vital player for Martino’s XI.
It was only Charly’s debut, but it was special because it looked like he had been playing for the national team many years. A midfielder with his vision will be of extreme help to El Tri for many years to come, and at the rate he’s playing, Charly will make it hard for Martino to select his starting midfielders.
Still unsure about the full-back situation. I think Chaka did a decent job, especially with his ball distribution and positioning in his flank. With Gallardo, I would have liked to see him get more touches in the final third. He’s someone that should take more shots outside the box and show more confidence in the offensive end. What makes Gallardo a stand out as left-back are his hops; he wins most of his aerial duels, as was the case on Friday night.
It was a promising debut.