So far, so good for Mexico interim manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano.
Hired just a few days before the start of the 2023 Gold Cup, and after the firing of former coach Diego Cocca, the 44-year-old Mexico City native has carried El Tri through a spot at first in Group B and a recent 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in the quarterfinal round.
He’s had some bumps along the way — notably in a 1-0 loss to Qatar in the group stage — but Lozano has at least kept Mexico alive in a tournament that they’re desperate to win. With an early exit in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and a discouraging place at third in last month’s Concacaf Nations League finals, the team is in dire need of a mood-lifting championship.
Lozano has righted El Tri‘s ship at the Gold Cup, but ahead of a challenging semifinal against Jamaica on Wednesday in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, questions remain for Mexico in their quest for a title.
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Who will start in the midfield and up top?
In the heart of the XI, things are up in the air.
“We don’t know how he’s doing, well, we know how he’s doing but we don’t know if it’s going to be possible that he participates tomorrow,” said Lozano on Tuesday about defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez, who suffered a recent knock. “We’ll wait, surely, until the last minute…if he’s at 100%, without a doubt he’ll be taken into consideration.”
With questions regarding the health of Alvarez, that then means that Luis Romo will likely move back into his position, leaving one of the two attack-minded midfield roles up for grabs alongside Luis Chavez. The easy answer would be a return to the XI for the well-rounded Erick Sanchez, a 22-year-old that is an exciting box-to-box player. Carlos Rodriguez, although lacking defensive coverage, is also a possible option with his playmaking.
At the No. 9 position, there are also no guarantees that a veteran like Henry Martin will hold onto his starting spot. Despite the 30-year-old’s excellent hold-up play and shot-creating actions, he has only found the back of the net once at the Gold Cup, which has led to arguments for the up-and-coming Santiago Gimenez. The 22-year-old Feyenoord star is far from a finished product, but Gimenez brings a wealth of speed and touches in the opposition’s final third.
After impressing as a substitute in the quarterfinal win over Costa Rica, will Gimenez earn just his second start of the tournament against Jamaica?
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As the all-time leaders in championships (8) in the tournament, El Tri need to win this summer’s title in order to help regain some of their status that has been waning over the last two to three years. Especially important is the fact that trophy contenders like the U.S. and Canada didn’t even send their best rosters to the Gold Cup, instead opting to rest many of their top European-based stars.
The problem is, Jamaica won’t make things easy this Wednesday in Mexico’s journey towards a possible title.
“We’re aware of Jamaica’s attack, we know that they counterattack very well, they hurt us a lot the last time we played against them in the [Estadio] Azteca,” said defender Johan Vazquez ahead of the match.
Lozano agreed about the squad that contains a number of English Premier League players, such as Aston Villa‘s Leon Bailey, Everton‘s Demarai Gray and West Ham United‘s Michail Antonio.
“If we go back, I don’t know, six or seven years ago and look at Jamaica and look at them now, there’s nothing in common. And much of it [has to do with] the players, in the leagues and teams they’re in,” stated Mexico’s interim.
“Without a doubt, they’re a strong team.”
By the way, the last time that Mexico failed to qualify for a Gold Cup final? That was back in 2017 after losing to Jamaica 1-0 in the semifinal round.
