Over the last two or three years Mexico’s women have made something of a habit of qualifying for major international football tournaments. The upturn in their fortunes can be traced back to Leonardo Cuellar’s appointment as the director of the country’s national women’s teams in the mid-1990s. Even so, despite the obvious progress they have made, the Mexicans have yet to convert their recent promise into a place in global elite.
The only time a Mexico side has ever progressed beyond the group stage at a global tournament came at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004. On that occasion they battled their way out of a daunting section featuring China and Germany before being eliminated in the last eight by silver-medal winners Brazil.
With an ambitious new generation having since emerged and a clear strategy in place, Las Tricolores are hoping to break through that barrier at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010.
Charting new territory
Mexico have been drawn into Group C, one of the more open-looking sections in the competition. Their rivals there will be England, Nigeria and Japan, three teams who have all followed similar trajectories to the CONCACAF side, which means it is not unreasonable to assume that the Mexicans have every chance of reaching the knockout phase for the first time in the history of the event.
Interestingly their three pool opponents all reached the last eight at Chile 2008 but advanced no further, and Cuellar believes they will present a fascinating challenge for the girls in green.
“They are three totally different styles but what really counts is being able to impose our own,” he says. “We shouldnt just adapt to the way they play. We have to make sure we play our game and give them something to worry about.”
Yet what makes Mexico’s task all the harder is the fact that the trio are all reigning continental champions and will be full of belief when they embark on their campaigns.
“We’ve got a tough group,” continues Cuellar. “We’re up against the European champions, the Asian champions and the African champions. We’ll be facing the best those continents have to offer and make no mistake, it’s a big challenge for us.”
Intensive preparations
There is little question the players are aware of that, especially with memories of a dismal showing at Chile 2008 still fresh in the memory. Charlyn Corral, a survivor from that tournament, when the Mexicans lost their three group games to Brazil, Korea DPR and Norway, is confident history will not repeat itself.
“I think this is a different team,” she ventures. “We’ve bonded better and there’s every chance we can put on a good show.”
The young forward’s optimism is well founded. Mexico secured their ticket to Germany 2010 in some style, beating the mighty Canada in the regional qualifying competition in Guatemala and only losing 1-0 to the all-conquering USA in a keenly contested final.
Corral and her team-mates will be preparing thoroughly in a bid to help them achieve their objective. Their tournament build-up begins with two matches against USA, on 20 and 22 May, the prelude to a training camp in Mexico and their departure for Germany.
As part of their preparations, Cuellar has also promoted seven members of the U-20 side to the full national team, which will play Japan on 8 and 11 May, the idea being to give them a taste of top-level international football and with it an insight into the Japanese style of play.
With detailed planning like that and plenty of quality and skill at their disposal, it will be no surprise to see the CONCACAF representatives take a leap forward at last. Germany 2010 could yet be the making of the success-hungry Mexicans.
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