By: Jonny Rico
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Saturday’s CONCACAF Cup in Pasadena, Californa’s Rose Bowl is probably the most meaningful match between the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and the Mexican National Team since the 2002 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match.
At stake besides the usual regional pride of dominance is CONCACAF’s only ticket into the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. A warm up tournament for the following year’s FIFA World Cup.
This hardly seems like the time a team would want to be experimenting with interim manager. Yet the Mexican National Team took the luxury of sacking manager Miguel “Piojo” Herrera about 12 hours after winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup, tournament that won it the right to play in this CONCACAF Cup against its hated rival USMNT.
Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl will show the world just how big of a mistake it was for the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) to fire Herrera. If Mexico wins, it would have been a mistake that it survived and can put behind it. If Mexico loses to USMNT it would show how catastrophic of a mistake it was to let go of the manager that took the team to the World Cup, and through the complicated regional CONCACAF tournament.
Some might disagree, I’ll even say most might disagree with me when when I say it was a mistake to fire Herrera. The former manager did make himself vulnerable with his actions.
The after winning the Gold Cup, the Mexican National Team were getting ready to board the plane back to Mexico City. There at the airport in Philadelphia boarding the same flight was controversial TV commentator Christian Martinoli who had taken the liberties to attack Herrera and his family on air.
A clash between the two happened and claims that Herrera physically assaulted Martinoli were made. Herrera did admit to the incident despite the fact there was no evidence of the incident.
With tremendous pressure from the TV network for which Martinoli works for, the FMF decided to sack Herrera and start a search for a new manager just a few months shy of the ever important CONCACAF Cup clash with the USMNT for the Confederations Cup ticket.
Based on the on field improvements that Miguel herrera had brought El Tri a financial fine would could have been punishment enough for the former manager. Allowing him to continue to build on what he had started in late 2013 saving Mexico from a World Cup absence.
The FMF were not able to sign a manager in time for the September FIFA date in which it had two friendly matches scheduled. It was forced to literally beg Tigres UANL manager Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti to step in.
Thanks in part to the decline in the form from the USMNT, especially in the defensive sector of the field. This CONCACAF Cup is an even contest with no team as the clear favorites. But had “Piojo” Herrera been allowed to continue there be no doubt in my mind that Mexico would have walked right through the U.S. and taken that Confederations Cup ticket.
Now we wait and let the CONCACAF Cup be the final judge on how big of a mistake it was from the FMF.
Mexico
