The 2016 Copa America Centenario might be Mexico’s best chance to win a CONMEBOL trophy in quite a long time.

For the first time in almost 15 years, El Tri can be considered one of the best teams in the competition, and there are other factors that could push them over the top in their quest to lift the cup once it’s all said and done.

El Tri’s all-round quality

Mexico has experience, talent and leadership at both ends of the pitch. Guillermo Ochoa (Málaga) between the posts, Héctor Moreno (PSV Eindhoven) at the back, Andrés Guardado (PSV) in midfield and Javier Hernández (Bayer Leverkusen) upfront are the key players in Juan Carlos Osorio’s scheme, but they are not the only ones ready to make an impact once the Copa America Centenario starts.

Héctor Herrera (Porto) has been one of the best midfielders in the Portuguese League in the past two seasons. Diego Reyes (Real Sociedad) and Miguel Layún (Porto) have a few years in Europe under their belts, and the same can be said of strikers Raúl Jiménez (Benfica) and Jesús Corona (Porto). Plus there’s the Rafa Márquez factor: he might not play at all during the tournament, but the leadership and experience that come with 129 international caps can’t be underestimated.

Andres Guardado's presence on the flanks is instrumental for El Tri. His 23 goals in 124 appearances have helped Mexico scoop the 2015 CONCACAF Cup and two Gold Cups (2011, 2015)

Andres Guardado

As if the quality of these players wasn’t enough, Mexico also has an X-Factor on the bench in the presence of Juan Carlos Osorio. The 51-year-old manager has had stints with Atletico Nacional (Colombia) and Sao Paulo (Brazil) before assuming duties as Mexico’s head coach back in October last year. The Colombian tactician is known for using various sets of tactical schemes, but he’s played with a 4-5-1 system in each of Mexico’s last three Qualifying games, and the results back him up: five wins in equal number of games with 12 goals scored and zero against.

El Tri’s four-man defensive line brings stability at the back while the three central midfielders can disrupt the opposition’s play and create chances going forward (Guardado excels in this role). The team’s three-man attacking line also features two classic wingers and a central striker. Enviable.

Osorio’s Chicharito luxury

Even though Osorio is known for adjusting his tactics to maximize his team’s strengths depending on the opposition, there’s one area where he can’t go wrong: he needs to use Hernández in the center of the attack. Chicharito has pace to burn but he gets lost outside the box, and Mexico would be greatly benefited if he can roam near the goal to capitalize on the team’s chances instead of dropping deeper to help the creative midfielders. The former Manchester United player is coming off the best season of his career with Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga where he scored 26 goals in 40 total matches.

Hernandez, however, needs support from the midfielders, and Mexico has plenty to offer in that department. Guardado and Herrera form a dynamic pairing in the center of the pitch, and there are also lots of options to attack through the flanks: whether it’s a speedster like Hirving Lozano, a more experienced player like Layún or a creative playmaker like Corona, Mexico has enough attacking power to inspire fear in opposing defenses. One can only wonder, however, how stronger Mexico would look if both Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Vela had made the cut for the 23-man squad.

Despite the absence of players like Gio or Vela one thing’s certain: Mexico shouldn’t have problems to reach the quarterfinals. Jamaica is a few steps below El Tri in terms of pedigree, and the same can be said about Venezuela. La Vinotinto will have three friendly matches before the start of the tournament and they recently changed their manager, but it’s hard to imagine Rafael Dudamel making drastic improvements on a team that sits at the bottom of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers with only one point in six games. 

Mexico’s road to the final: a look at the bracket 

Uruguay will be Mexico’s biggest threat for the top spot in Group C, and La Celeste is likely to play without Luis Suarez who’s set to miss the group stage after he exited the Copa del Rey final with a muscular injury. 

El Tri are likely to either top their group or qualify as runners-up whereas in Group D, Argentina and Chile are favorites to progress as well.

Copa America Centenario groups

Now, the Copa America Centenario’s road to the final is set to pair Group C’s winners with Group D’s runners-up in Santa Clara on June 18 and Group D’s winners with Group C’s runners-up in Foxborough on the same date. Mexico vs Argentina or Chile vs Mexico therefore looks like a possible quarter-final matchup in any of these two cities.

If they reach the semifinals then teams like Brazil, Colombia and United States are analytically among the possible rivals.

Copa America Centenario bracket

*Image source: Wiki

It's time to make Mexican football great again

Speaking of the United States, Mexico will feel right at home playing on U.Sny Mexican residents live in the country. That’s one advantage no other team (aside from the hosts, of course) will enjoy. El Tri will benefit from great support everywhere they go, and that could prove to be a huge boost during the decisive stages. The fans’ rooting could easily be a difference maker for El Tri if things get tough at some point during the tournament.. soil based on how ma

Based on the strength of their squad, the opponents they will face during the group stage, the absences other teams will have and the location of the tournament, Mexico is pretty well positioned to make some noise in the Copa America Centenario.  It will be tough considering they will be vying against the likes of favorites Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. 

However, Mexico’s current generation of players have proven that they can compete with any of these national teams on any given day. They have the talent, the depth and the experience to win the tournament for the first time after falling short in 1993 and 2001. In fact, there is arguably no better time than the year 2016 to “make Mexican football great again”. 

Mexico's national football team will certainly not lack support at any venue in the U.S.

Mexico's national football team will certainly not lack support at any venue in the U.S.

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Mexico 3 - 1 Uruguay

June 5, 2016 8:00pmUniversity of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

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Mexico 2 - 0 Jamaica

June 9, 2016 10:00pmRose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

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Mexico 1 - 1 Venezuela

June 13, 2016 8:00pmNRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)

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