Mexico fell short Sunday against Jamaica in the semifinals of the Gold Cup, losing 1-0 in the dying moments of the game. Kemar Lawrence’s 88th minute free kick goal sent El Tri out of the tournament earlier than they wanted to be. Questions arise from the coaching staff, to the players on the pitch. With criticism to follow after crashing and burning out of the semifinals, here is what we learned from this “B” team from El Tri during the 2017 Gold Cup.
Mexico Crash and Burn Out of 2017 Gold Cup: Three Takeaways
Young Talent Wasn’t So Great
As soon as the Gold Cup roster was released, there was excitement associated with some young talent such as Erick Gutierrez, Orbelin Pineda, and Rodolfo Pizzaro, getting named to the roster. At the start of the friendlies they looked very promising going into the tournament. Yet, they weren’t too convincing as the tournament progressed. The only young talent that stepped up and was consistent was Edson Alvarez. If you look at this Gold Cup as a whole, the performances were less than average than what we expected. The bright future stars for El Tri did not step up to the plate when called upon.
Lack of Finishing
With 68 percent possession in the semifinals, Mexico did not really make most of it. With 12 shots, five of them being on target, it was frustrating not to see El Tri slot a few in the back of the net. A lot of names went missing in this game such as Erick ‘Cubo’ Torres and Pizzaro. Elias Hernandez was sending in too many inaccurate cross in to the box. Pineda was also a bit too quiet this game. Mexico’s attack was just too predictable to the Jamaican defense. We failed to see somebody take charge and lead the attack for Mexico. Lack of creativity and finishing is what saw this Mexican team crash out earlier than expected.
Juan Carlos Osorio’s Future With the National Team
Before the semifinals, we learned Juan Carlos Osorio’s future was safe regardless of the result Sunday night. Many El Tri fans and former players, such as Hugo Sanchez and Jared Borgetti, all around have called for Osorio’s firing for such an unsuccessful summer. Although he has an impressive record with the national team posting 25 wins, six draws, and five losses, fans point out the fact that Mexico has only won one elimination game under Osorio. If El Profesor is planning to make the “quinto partido” we are going to need to see a solid squad for the next round of WCQ.
