After the Honduras men celebrated a historic win in the Azteca, the time for Mexico's manager 'Chepo' de la Torre came to an end. The mexicans fell 1-2 in their big home surrounded by disappointed fans, who seemed to have started cheering for Honduras towards the end.
The disappointed fans cheering for Honduras said it all: the Mexicans are tired of disappointing performances. The fans should be disappointed, 'Chepo' should have been gone long before the time came for desperation. Desperate times calls for desperate measures, but what measures can Mexico take to grab a golden ticket to Brazil 2014?
For now, former America coach Luis Fernando Tena has stepped up as the Mexico manager. A smart man nonetheless, but the biggest test is yet to come to see if Tena can get the Mexicans to the cup. Throughout the disappointing performances, fans I have spoken to are mostly upset about how 'Chepo' did not use the young talent to his advantage. Maybe Tena will be the one to find the magic combination to use all of the talent to his advantage.
The first test comes this Tuesday. Psychologically, the U.S. vs. Mexico game always brings high tension along with a few pounds of pressure on everyone's back. Tena will be tested right off the bat, which can be an indicator for how the rest of the performances will consist of.
Good thing for Mexico is this isn't the first time Tena has worked with the Mexican national team. He was assistant coach to the national team and also worked with the U-23 mexican men. With all the young talent in the national team as of late, Tena is the perfect replacement as he is very familiar with the team.
And if Tena Doesn't Work Out?
Before 'Chepo' took the reigns of the national team, Victor Manuel Vucetich rejected the
offer of taking over. Vucetich was the Monterrey FC coach at the time and rejected the national job because he claims he still had work to do with the Rayados. Right he was, he clenched a couple more titles before being sacked last month with Monterrey.
Vucetich has only ever lost one final in his entire career. His intelligence for the game is admirable and works well under pressure. Unfortunately, a lot of players left the Monterrey side, which has affected the Apertura 2013 performance.
With Tena as the new mexican coach, and Vucetich still looking for a manager position, if Tena doesn't work out for the national side Vucetich could be the one to take over. Vucetich has worked with several Mexican teams: Leon, Tecos, UANL, Cruz Azul, Tigres, La Piedad, Puebla, Pachuca, Veracruz, Jaguares, and most recently Monterrey.
For now, the national side will have to see what Tena will do to help them reach the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
For full highlights of Mexico vs. Honduras, click here.
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