Mexico hopes for resurgence against Canada on TSN
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For a 39th time, Canada meets Mexico on the pitch on Thursday night with both teams facing a new reality.
While El Tri has enjoyed the lion's share of the rivalry to this point, winning 24 times, it's Canada that is viewed as the ascendant power ahead of the Concacaf Nations League semi-final.
You can catch Canada vs. Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles LIVE at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT on TSN5, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
It has not exactly been halcyon days for Mexico in recent years. Traditionally the class of Concacaf, El Tri now finds itself alongside the United States and the CanMNT atop the confederation and coming off a string of disappointing results. Their 2022 World Cup campaign wasn't a good one. Winning a single match, the team did not advance to the group stage for the first time since 1978. The performance cost Tata Martino his job.
A loss in the 2023 Nations League semis under Martino's successor, Diego Cocca, resulted in his termination. There was a brief respite with a win at the 2023 Gold Cup, Mexico's ninth title at the tournament, but dread over the state of the program set back in after a disastrous Copa America last summer that saw El Tri fail to reach the knockouts despite a favourable draw that put them in a group with Venezuela, Ecuador and Jamaica. Crashing out of the Copa meant the end of Cocca's replacement, Jaime Lozano, as manager.
Back in the saddle for a third stint as boss is Javier Aguirre. A midfielder in his playing days who represented El Tri at the 1986 World Cup, Aguirre led Mexico to the 2001 Copa America Final and a Round of 16 appearance at the 2002 World Cup where El Tri fell to the USMNT. Leaving the job to become Osasuna boss followed by a stint at Atletico, Aguirre returned in 2009. Winning the Gold Cup and rescuing a moribund World Cup qualifying campaign to see El Tri advance to South Africa, Aguirre was riding high. Mexico reached the knockouts after a group-stage campaign that saw a 2-0 win over France. But the Round of 16 would be where Mexico's World Cup ended with a 3-1 loss to Argentina. He resigned in the wake of the loss.
Returning to the job late last summer, Aguirre says his job is clear.
“What I’ve tried to do is restore the pride to play for the national team, whether you play in Europe or in Mexico," Aguirre said this week. "They have to understand that they’re part of something important. Starting with this cup.”
Aguirre's team at the Nations League skews young. There was no room for the likes of Memo Ochoa (AVS), Chucky Lozano (San Diego) or Henry Martin (America). But young doesn't mean inexperienced. Santiago Gimenez (Milan) is only 23, but has been capped 32 times. West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez is up for an 83rd appearance at 27.
Aguirre believes he has the talent to perform.
“We just have to play good football. We have to play well,” Aguirre said. “We have to execute the game plan and play a perfect game against Canada if we want to advance. We can’t make small mistakes. I think Mexico is prepared and able to defeat Canada. I truly believe that. If we execute the way we think we can, we’ll play in the final.”
Mexico has not beaten Canada in nearly four years years and is winless in its last three matches against the CanMNT.
POTENTIAL MEXICO XI: Malagon; Angulo, Vasquez, Juarez, Huescas; Alvarez, Orbelin; Quinones, Jimenez, Vega; Gimenez
POTENTIAL CANADA XI: St. Clair; Davies, Cornelius, Bombito, Johnston; Ahmed, Kone, Eustaquio, Buchanan; David, Larin