The first half was played in the typical Mexican fashion, great promise, a lot of "little passes" in the mid-field, but no ability to realize in the attack.
This has earned them the nickname (for a long time), "Los Ratoncitos" the little mice.
Mexico has a long history in Soccer, but contrary to the South American teams, (particularly Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay), they have NOT been able to convert into brilliant results their vast pool of talent.
I have no idea why this is so, I suspect, (and this could earn me a million flames from ardent Mexican supporters), but I believe it is closely connected to the history of the country being dominated by the Europeans (primarily Spanish), therefore, it seems that they have this "fear" of success, and they become "complacent" in their defeats.
It is a long, long subject, not worth debating on this thread---
The Mexican team (perhaps, with a mild exception in 1970, where Mexico was the host country), they have never had a leader in their forwards, you know, the exceptional striker, "crack" as the Brasileiros call them.
Mexico has never had a Maradona, or a Pel‚, or a Mller, or anything closely related, perhaps the closest has been Hugo S nchez, but again, when in his prime, he never was able to energize the rest of the team in a way that they would become Champions.
I guess what I am saying is that they lack the "Champion mentality" that is the absolute belief that you are going to "win them all", regardless of the circumstances.
I have seen that in the Argentineans, the Brazilians, the Germans, the Italians, it is almost (and in some cases, take away the almost), arrogant.
If I were to compare it with motor racing, the Mexican Team is like a Carlos Reuteman, from Argentina.
Reuteman was always a good driver, and incredible "potential" and he came within a hair (in points), to become Formula 1 World Champion, yet he just simply never quite was able to "put it all together".
Emerson Fittipaldi was the opposite to Reuteman, Emerson had that "assurance", carisma, call it what you want, he just came and conquer, so much so, that he came out of retirement and won the Indy 500, with incredible style, even putting one of the Al Unser Jr. in the wall, in the final laps of the race, beating him at his own game, with the very same tricks of the American style of racing....
Anyway, I am ranting here... |
