Several takes on El Tri's U-20 debut
--2-1 defeat--
There won’t be an 11 thoughts edition this week, but I’ll share my thoughts on El Tri’s U-20 loss today. But first, let me write about this picture. Liga MX is a league that’s hard to understand sometimes, but it tends to leave gratifying moments every now and then. To see “Nacho” Ambriz and “Tuca” Ferretti embrace before a Liga MX final can only mean something good is about to take place. It’s what the sport is all about, it’s about convivir with those that hold the same passion as you. Ferretti arrives to the final with the most notable experience possible, while Ambriz wraps around the idea that he has finally led a team to a Liga MX final. And it’s not any team, it’s a brilliant one, a record-breaker, with a playing style so engrained that they almost touch perfection. It’s true that Ángel Mena, the regular season’s best player, has been quiet this Liguilla, and that missing José Juan Macías could prove to be the difference between winning or losing the final, but it’s football, mysterious at times, waiting to surprise. There’s no posición en la tabla advantage, there’s no visiting-goal advantage. It’s all equal. Equal as the joy Ambriz and Ferretti share.
Thoughts on the 2-1 loss
- In the last weeks, I’ve put a lot of thought to something Mauricio Pochettino told El País’ Diego Torres about line-up structures and their tactical development or tactical mobility. In Spanish, he called it desarrollo táctico. While watching this first El Tri match in Gdynia, it wasn’t difficult to leave with the conclusion that their tactical mobility was poor. The minutes between the second half start and the goal that gave Italy the win were crucial for El Tri to score at least one goal, but they couldn’t. Their offense was so passive, elaborated by many horizontal passes, that it made too easy for Italy’s defenders to just sit back and wait for the play to end.
- This lack of tactical mobility was the main cause for Diego Lainez’s intermittent game. The azzurri defenders knew how important Lainez is for El Tri’s attack, therefore they defended him with multiple defenders each time he got on the ball. Coach Diego Ramírez showed lack of initiative by maintaining Lainez in the right flank. A player like Lainez, especially with this Mexico team, requires to have more liberty. There’s no player with his skills, although it must be noted that Macías showed a lot of class with his play outside the box, but is that where we want to see Macías get most of his touches on the ball? If El Tri aspire to reach the knockout rounds, Ramírez must consider putting Lainez in the center, which will allow him to move more freely in the final third.
- I’m not a fan of this 4-4-2 structure El Tri has used under Ramírez’s watch. It’s too passive; there’s very little chances to spark surprising plays, and the players don’t look comfortable. Several times Macías and Roberto de la Rosa went to the same spot in the area and ended up getting in each other’s way. While Antonio Figueroa, who came in for Misael Domínguez, tended to dribble his way to the right flank, where Lainez played throughout the game. But it gave me the impression that Figueroa kept moving to the right-flank because that’s where he felt more comfortable with the ball. It was strange. El Tri’s central midfielders were good at disrupting plays, but not so good in creating them. During the last four minutes of the match that was noticeable as El Tri’s defenders had a hard time getting the ball to the offense; it was hard to watch. The presence of someone like Jonathan González would have been phenomenal because he possesses skills this team clearly lacks. He could have been the connector of the offense and defense.
- I’ve followed closely what Joao Maleck has said in recent days. There was that piece on ESPN , in which it left doubt on whether he wanted to maintain his allegiance to El Tri. Several days later on TDN, he reiterated his disappointment on not making the U-20 World Cup roster but made sure to clarify that his allegiance to El Tri continues and looks forward to a future call-up. I understand that Maleck rarely played this season with Sevilla Atlético, and that that lack of playing time in 2019 was used against him when it came time to create the final roster. However, I find it unexplainable that a player of his caliber was simply left out because of lack playing time. The specifics have to be more sophisticated because there’s no doubt in my mind that his presence would have elevated the game of this U-20 team. A 4-3-3 with Macías, Maleck and Lainez upfront would have been worth a shot, especially in a tournament where there’s so much to win and very little to lose.
- De la Rosa scored El Tri’s only goal and deserves to maintain his starting role, but I’m unsure if this 4-4-2 with him and Macías up top will be good enough to stay alive in the tournament. I would go with a 4-3-3 with Lainez as a false nine and Macías in the right wing and de la Rosa in the left, but then again, I’m not so convinced with the midfielders available…