He loves the World Cup and wants to watch his country compete. But Mexico is struggling against Central American minnows to qualify and the country has a history of bowing out of international tournaments in the early elimination rounds. Those are symptoms, he says, of political and managerial problems in the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), and for that reason, Ladrón de Guevara wouldn’t mind seeing his squad sit out the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Mexico was seemingly a lock to reach Brazil when the final round of qualifying began in CONCACAF. Instead of living up to those expectations, Mexico heads into the final set of qualifiers, beginning against Panama, with its World Cup fate still hanging in the balance.
As it stands now, El Tri are on the outside looking in. They are tied in points with Panama, but sit in fifth place due to the tiebreaker. It illustrates exactly how important the clash between the two sides is in terms of at least earning a playoff berth.
In the past, a trip to Estadio Azteca would have been a daunting task for the Canaleros. That shouldn't be the case this time around, though. Mexico has been far less dominant at home during the Hex, including a loss to Honduras last month.
El Tri must return to form in order to avoid the unthinkable result of missing the World Cup altogether. Let's take a glance at all the key viewing information for the crucial clash, followed by the top storyline and a match prediction.
Where: Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico
When: Friday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET (2:30 a.m. BST)
