Qatar 2022 is slowly but steadily approaching. Soccer's biggest tournament is a unique event for which you have to be fully prepared in order to succeed. Thus, the coach of the Mexico National Team, Gerardo Tata Martino, wants the best possible preparation beforehand and is begging the Mexican Federation to get him an opponent that he considers essential.
The FIFA World Cup Final Draw placed El Tri in Group D, a fairly competitive group, although not the most difficult of the tournament. Thus, they will have to face Poland in their first match, then Argentina, in a match with a bitter history for Mexico, and finally Saudi Arabia, an opponent that cannot be underestimated.
Tata Martino's team did not have an entirely smooth participation in the Concacaf Qualifiers. After a start in which it seemed that they would dominate, they ended up clinching their place in Qatar 2022 until the last matchday. Throughout the Qualifiers, Mexico was unable to beat the two strongest opponents in its zone: Canada and the USMNT.
Tata Martino asks for this specific opponent for Mexico's preparation ahead Qatar 2022
Knowing that it will face Poland, Argentina and Saudi Arabia in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation has planned an extensive preparation tour for its team. However, Tata Martino seems to be not entirely satisfied with the opponents scheduled so far.
Mexico has confirmed that it will face the following opponents in the United States so far in 2022: Guatemala, Uruguay, Nigeria, Ecuador and Paraguay. According to David Medrano, TV Azteca's insider, Martino has expressly asked to face Norway, Romania, Sweden or Serbia, all of them with similar characteristics to Poland, the opponent against El Tri will make its debut in Qatar 2022.
According to Medrano, Mexico's coach would like the European opponent he has expressly requested from the Mexican Football Federation to be the last one his squad will face in order to arrive with the right skills to face the Polish team in the World Cup. Thus, this match could take place in November, days before the start of the Qatar 2022, in Europe or Qatar.
Poland the unknown that intrigues Martino for the World Cup
Poland suffered a major blow ahead of Qatar 2022. Paulo Sousa resigned as coach of the team months before the decisive match against Sweden to fight for one of the last tickets to the World Cup. The Portuguese's place was taken by the local Czesław Michniewicz, who led his National Team to victory and thus to qualification for FIFA's most prestigious tournament.
Still, with just one game directed by Michniewicz, his Poland is a real mystery. His team replicated the 4-2-3-1 formation favored by his new coach and showed itself to be a reactive team, which renounces possession of the ball to defend very well in intermediate areas to attack with speed once it recovers the ball. Or at least that's how they got the win against Sweden.
