World Cup Team Profiles: Group A: Mexico

Teams / Ari Last / 17 February 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

If their youngsters step up to the plate Mexico may be a team to keep an eye on this summer. Here's a few facts you may want to know...

They've undoubtedly got some talented players and have a manager with the ability to get the very best out of his squad. Two points which may make Mexico a tempting back-to lay bet at their current odds of [150.0], particularly when you consider that at odds of [1.99] they've got virtually a 50% chance of making it out of the group stages alive.

Nation: Mexico

Also known as...
'El Tri'

Route to South Africa...
The road to the World Cup for CONCACAF sides is long and winding, and Mexico's particular path contained even more twists and turns than most. They started their campaign with Sven Goran Eriksson at the helm but after several poor results, the Swede was replaced by former boss Javier Aguirre. His impact was remarkable, and despite defeats to the USA and El Salvador, 'El Tri' won five of their last six group games to qualify with something to spare.

World Cup Pedigree...
Mexico have qualified for 15 World Cup finals, which is more than any other side from the CONCACAF region. 2010 will be their fifth tournament in a row and they'll be hoping to at least match their best efforts of 1970 and 1986, when they reached the Quarter Finals.

They'll be relying on...
Talisman Cauhtemoc Blanco to muster up the type of magic witnessed in the 1998 tournament, when he famously introduced the watching world to the move quickly dubbed the 'Kangaroo'.
Blanco has been brought out of international retirement on the request of coach Javierre Aguirre, and he along with Rafael Marquez, will be expected to provide the required experience needed to complement Mexico's talented young stars.

Something you may not have known is...
Mexico are likely to go into the tournament with four World Cup winners in the squad. Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos, Efrain Juarez and Hector Moreno were all part of the triumphant side in FIFA's under-17 World Cup in Peru 2005, and much will rest on their young shoulders in South Africa this summer.

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