I don't know what to expect from El Tri anymore
One game away from clinching another World Cup ticket
In a couple of days we’ll probably know all of El Tri’s World Cup opponents, and the excitement for another World Cup participation will take over in México and here too.
I will agree, though, that it’s okay to feel very confused on which El Tri we’ll see in the World Cup.
Watching El Tri over the last 180 minutes hasn’t been fun, and although they’ve gone on to get four out of six possible points, it’s difficult to feel inspired from their performances.
Just to add more to the confusion, the detachment shown between El Tri and Estadio Azteca in the past couple of games has been one of the most painful sights to watch.
Oh, and how crazy is this, as the table shows above, El Tri basically booked its ticket to Qatar by having an impressive away record.
1. I’m a big fan of Charly, but after watching these past 180 minutes, I think Guti is more suited for that specific midfield role in Martino’s tactical formation.
2. Diego Lainez needs to see more playing time. In the last two games, I’d given more minutes to Lainez than Chucky.
3. Chucky is nowhere near his best level, he needs to calm down, so he can make the best decision possible. He’s nowhere near that 2017-18 level.
4. At least the César Montes-Johan Vásquez CB tandem is here to stay. It’s good for El Tri to have a projected defensive backline that could be used in this World Cup and in 2026.
5. Ideas are all over the place for the national team, it’s nothing new. There have been many episodes where El Tri just doesn’t have a clear mindset. Sometimes it’s because of the pitch, other times because it’s difficult to break down teams that play ultra-defensive, and other times it’s the over expectation that El Tri provokes among the fans and media – that idea that they need to win contundentemente.
6. Will El Tri “improve” if they decide to go with another manager? Could be the case, but I’m not 100% sold to the idea that Piojo Herrera would want to leave Tigres for a coaching seat that doesn’t provide security. What he’s building in Tigres is going in the right direction.