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Mexico’s firing of Jose Manuel de la Torre is addition by subtraction.
It’s not often that managers are given the boot in the middle of World Cup qualifying, but Chepo absolutely had to go. He was woefully incompetent and the main reason why Mexico’s hopes at making it to Brazil were consistently decreasing.
With the form the United States has shown over the past few months, a sound argument can be made for both the Americans or the Mexicans when it comes to "most talented team in the Americas."
Either way, though, it’s unquestioned that El Tri has one of the two-top talent pools in CONCACAF, and as such, qualifying for the World Cup should never be seen as a truly impossible task.
But teams must have more than talent. They must have a manager who is capable of making the right tactical decisions, who can motivate his players and who can put them in the right positions to best take advantage of that talent.
Chepo did none of those things.
His tactical decisions were poor. He left the flanks open against Jamaica, allowing the Reggae Boyz to counter with ease. He consistently weakened the midfield. Most recently, he failed to react to Honduras’ halftime formation change, as Los Catrachos scored two quick second-half goals and pulled off the shocking victory at Azteca, where Chepo was unable to earn a win in four Hexagonal matches.
Instead of motivating players, he alienated them. He chose the wrong lineups at the wrong times and drove two of Mexico’s most important players, Guillermo Ochoa and Carlos Vela, from the squad.
It was a calamitous reign in essentially every aspect possible, and Luis Fernando Tena has his work cut out for him.
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With three matches left in Hexagonal play, Mexico currently sits in fourth place out of six. With eight points, El Tri is six behind Costa Rica, five behind the United States, two behind Honduras and just one ahead of Panama. They need to finish in the top three to qualify for the World Cup or fourth to enter a playoff against New Zealand.
Things aren’t about to get easier, either, as Tena steps in against the Americans in front of what will be an incredibly hostile Columbus crowd that certainly smells blood.
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Tena knows what he’s doing, though.
Remember, he led Mexico’s Under-23 squad to a gold medal over Brazil at the 2012 Olympics, and several of the players on that side are currently with El Tri in the United States.
Earning a point against the Red, White and Blues on Tuesday may prove to be too difficult of a task for the suddenly enigmatic Mexicans, but there is certainly enough talent on this roster to beat Panama (at home) and Costa Rica (at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica) in October—along as someone competent is running the team.
Chepo was not competent. Tena is.
Mexico very well may have to play New Zealand, the winner of the Oceania federation, in a home-and-home playoff for a trip to the World Cup.
But that’s not indicative of the talent on this squad. El Tri are far better now than they were a couple of days ago, and Brazil should very much still be in their plans, even if getting there won’t be pretty.
via Jose Manuel De La Torre's Firing Will Propel Mexico to World Cup | Bleacher Report.
