Mexico manager Miguel Herrera discusses Chicharito benching, El Tri chances
By Josh Sanchez
On Thursday morning, Mexico unveiled their starting XI for the 2014 FIFA World Cup opener, and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez was not among the team’s eleven starters for the beginning of their quest in Brazil.
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During a recent interview, Herrera discussed his team as they prepare for the World Cup opener against Cameroon on Friday.
It wasn’t easy for Herrera to decide on the team’s starting XI, but in the end it came down to who can help El Tri go the furthest and who will give them the competitive edge they are looking for in Brazil.
“I had to add in the people who play in Europe, because they have the most experience competitively. They have played World Cups, and you have to set aside feelings and friendships,” Herrera said during an appearance on ESPN’s World Cup Tonight Thursday.
“You have to think about which players look best to reach the objective.”
The most notable name that was absent from Mexico’s starting XI was Chicharito, but Herrera provided a reasonable explanation for Chicharito’s spot on the bench and did not rule out the star striker earning a starting role down the line.
“It’s a hard year for him. The coach who supported him retires. A new coach takes on his team, Manchester. He played sporadically in the beginning, and very few minutes throughout the year. Obviously he’ll come in handy when we need him. And when we use him, if he shines like he did at his first World Cup, there’s no doubt that he could be a starter for the following games.”
But, realistically, how far can Mexico advance in this year’s tournament?
Herrera recalled a dream that has El Tri playing seven matches which would take them to either the finals or third-place match.
“I swear by God, I dreamed we play seven matches. Maybe that seventh match takes us to the final to a full Estádio Maracanã. Let’s hope we have great success so our fans can be really happy.”
For the Mexico fans, they will hope that Herrera’s dream comes true and that the seventh match comes in the 2014 World Cup final.