CONCACAF Nations League Finals: Scouting Mexico

The United States Men’s National Team qualified for the final of the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals with a nervy 3-1 victory over Jamaica that went into extra time, looking to become the three-time and only champions of the competition. As per usual, hoping to play spoiler is the opponent waiting at the end of the road, Mexico. An intense atmosphere is expected, with all of the inherent drama and big moments. The match is set for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, an 80,000-seat arena with Hellas Matrix Turf.

This is the 77^th all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USMNT sporting a 23-36-17 record but claiming the most recent meeting in June of 2023. Ranked 15^th internationally by FIFA, Mexico are the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions after topping Panama in a tight 1-0 final. In the current Nations League, El Tri narrowly escaped a shock defeat to Honduras in the quarterfinal round with a 2-0 loss in the away leg and a 2-0 (4-2) shootout victory in the home stand. The semifinal round was a more relaxed 3-0 win over Panama.

Former international midfielder Jaime Lozano was appointed to an interim role following Diego Cocca’s loss in the previous Nations League semifinals. After the Gold Cup triumph, the federation made his appointment permanent, citing “deep” knowledge of the landscape and the ability to “connect with the players.” The 45-year-old enjoyed previous stints leading Querétaro, Necaxa, and the country’s U-23 team and currently holds a 3-2-3 record.

Lozano named a 23-player roster for the Nations League Finals, an experienced group that has most of the familiar faces from recent camps. The domestic Liga MX is home to 10 call-ups, while a further 13 are on the books at European clubs. The manager responded to the absence of several standouts, noting that the limited squad size forced his hand. Raúl Jiménez was left out of the group, having only recently made his return to the field for Fulham following a hamstring injury.

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GOALKEEPERS (3): Guillermo Ochoa (Salernitana), Luis Malagón (América), Julio González (UNAM)

DEFENDERS (8): Jesús Gallardo (Monterrey), César Montes (Almería), Jorge Sánchez (Porto), Gerardo Arteaga (Monterrey), Johan Vásquez (Genoa), Érick Aguirre (Monterrey), Julián Araujo (Las Palmas), Jesús Orozco (Guadalajara)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Edson Álvarez (West Ham United), Orbelín Pineda (AEK Athens), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Luis Chávez (Dynamo Moscow), Érick Sánchez (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (4): Hirving Lozano (PSV), Henry Martín (América), Santiago Giménez (Feyenoord), Julián Quiñones (América)

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While Cocca attempted to push a new formation away from Mexico’s traditional 4-3-3, Lozano has stuck to the standard set-up for better and for worse. His tactics have been described as “very predictable,” with a lack of production from the wingers allowing for “the single striker to be taken out of the equation.” He tends to avoid “excessive risks” and gives “great importance to set pieces,” although there has been a lack of intent in the final third with El Tri “failing to create enough danger.” The manager noted “mistakes in the lower zone” against Panama, giving away too many balls that the opponent was unable to convert. There is expected to be some shuffling of the lineup, as Julián Araujo and Johan Vásquez suffered injuries in the previous fixture.

Despite Luis Malagón putting in a massive performance in the quarterfinal round against Honduras, Lozano appears to be sticking with the reliable veteran in Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa. The decision is understandable, as the 38-year-old continues to provide a balanced mix of box control and shot-stopping as well as intelligent organization of his defense. His distribution remains composed, with quick outlets to the wings in the hopes of springing the counter-attack. While age has dulled his athleticism, the Salernitana goalkeeper is still up to the task on reflex saves, as evidenced by his fantastic double-block in the 51^st minute against Panama.

César Montes is currently on the books at Almería after enduring a brief half season with Espanyol that ended in relegation out of La Liga. He brings an aggressive physical presence while also looking to play long passes and field switches. With regular centre-back Vásquez suffering an injury against Panama, Lozano could move Edson Álvarez deeper in the formation, a tactical adjustment that has been made in the past. The versatile uber talent joined West Ham last summer on a $44 million transfer fee and immediately adapted to the Premier League with his constant ball winning and intelligence during the build-up phase. The 26-year-old from “the northern suburbs of Tlalnepantla de Baz” is praised as a “dominant force” in possession and a “weapon [on] set pieces.”

Jesús Gallardo uses his blistering pace on the wing to bust open the opposing defense with long dribbling runs and high pressing. The Monterrey fullback is a true two-way player with constant creation and impactful ball winning. On the other side of the formation is Jorge Sánchez of Porto, who maintains deeper and more defensive positioning and should be fresh after serving a suspension against Panama. He is a distributor of both accurate crosses and even more well-timed tackles that can shift the balance of proceedings in unexpected moments.

Pachuca eight Érick Sánchez slowly grew into a starting role with the national team, serving as a “well-rounded box-to-box with a good shot.” He is an accurate passer from all distances and excels at advancing possession up the field and creating opportunities. Luis Romo is a regular under the new manager, picking up significant minutes due to ball-winning and decision making in the build-up phase. His diagonal crossing and field switches can shift the angle of attacks, particularly when springing the open far-side winger. Dynamo Moscow’s hard-tackling Luis Chávez should feature, particularly if the formation features three generalist midfielders. His evasive dribbling and elusiveness in the final third beguile opponents, which pair nicely with long-range shooting.

On some days, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is a dynamic and creative player, cutting inside and tormenting defenders who can only hope to slow him down with dangerous fouls. The inverted winger is back at PSV Eindhoven after a stint at Napoli that included great heights but also bouts of “crying in despair.” There are two main options on the opposite side of the field: electric Cruz Azul dynamo Uriel Antuna who operates as a soloist and the versatile Orbelín Pineda of AEK Athens who boasts a complete skill set. The former provides intelligent movement and can either cut inside or beat defenders along the endline, while the latter shoots from distance and looks to operate centrally as an extra striker with excellent aerial abilities.

Santiago Giménez is on a torrid run of form for Feyenoord, contributing 24 goals and 5 assists in 35 appearances, following up on last season’s title-winning campaign in which the Argentine-born attacker found the back of the net 28 times. In what has been a familiar refrain for El Tri, he has a mere 4 goals in 24 caps, yet to carry his club form over to the international side. The 22-year-old from Buenos Aires has “great positioning, off the ball movements, superb finishing, and innate killer instinct,” described as “strong and adept at using his body to create the sufficient amount of separation to fire at goal” with a “good burst of acceleration.” Breaking the Lines notes his “trademark blind side to near-post runs” without being “overly reliant on service” and “capable of creating his own shots,” a combination of skill that overwhelms opposing back lines.

However, if the manager chooses to hold out Giménez, who allegedly showed frustration against Panama by kicking the bench, there’s always the option of Henry Martín, who went the full 90 minutes against Panama. While far from prolific at the international level, the 31-year-old América striker thrives on the counter-attack with intelligent movement and an ability to find the ball in the final third. He is something of an undersized target striker who can also dictate possession with his back to the defender. His long-distance shooting is just accurate enough to prevent the opponent from giving away too much space.

When the USMNT and Mexico come together, there are usually fireworks interspersed amidst a high-energy, back-and-forth game. After underwhelming showings at the 2022 World Cup, both programs are slowly building in a better direction in advance of co-hosting the next edition of the competition. The atmosphere will only be heightened with a trophy on the line as El Tri looks to buck the host’s streak. If either side scores early, expect the floodgates to open with a constant flurry of action.

The match is scheduled for Sunday March 24^th at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, 6:15 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include Paramount+, Univision, UniMás, and FUBO TV (free trial).