Gerardo Tata Martino‘s main focus is not on making the Mexico National Team play well. The fact is that the way to get the result can be indistinct as long as the big goal is achieved: that El Tri can get out of the Round of 16 in Qatar 2022. To achieve this, the Argentinean coach is clear about what he needs and has already asked his players to do so.
It is no wonder that the Mexican Soccer Federation‘s great desire is the aforementioned. Although since USA 1994, Mexico has not failed to attend each edition of the FIFA World Cup, throughout the 7 previous editions, the equation may have changed but the result has not: El Tri has not been able to place among the best 8 in the prestigious tournament.
In Qatar 2022, the outlook for Tata Martino and his boys looks complicated: first, they will have to compete for one of the two tickets to the Round of 16 with Lionel Messi‘s Argentina and Robert Lewandowski‘s dangerous Poland, and then face France, Denmark, Peru/Australia or Tunisia, in order to aspire to reach the Quarter Finals.
What do players who want to go to Qatar 2022 have to do with Martino’s Mexico?
Mexico’s long training camp for the friendly and official matches of summer 2022 is helping Gerardo Tata Martino to get to know his players better, but above all to make clear to the 38 called-up players the essential condition for him to consider them in the list of 23 players for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
According to Azteca Deportes insider David Medrano, Tata Martino has reportedly spoken personally and as a group with the players who currently make up the Mexico National Team to indicate to them that the condition for their inclusion in the Qatar 2022 roster is to have constant playing time with their clubs.
Thus, the names of Guillermo Ochoa, Edson Alvarez, Jesus Corona, Raul Jimenez,Andres Guardado and evenHirving Lozano are almost certain to be included in the Mexican roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. However, players like Diego Lainez of Betis, Orbelin Pineda of Celta Vigo and even Marcelo Flores of Arsenal (who has not even made his debut in the First Division) would have to step on the gas to avoid missing Qatar 2022.
Evidently, Martino’s criteria is valid for those players he has consistently considered throughout his tenure with the Mexico National Team, since Chicharito Hernandez and Carlos Salcedo, of LA Galaxy and Toronto FC, respectively, usually play week to week but are not even included in the pre-list from which Tata will filter names until he is left with the 23 or 26 players who will play in Qatar 2022.
