el tri – Mexico Football Fans

Javier Aquino not taking World Cup spot for granted

Tigres winger Javier Aquino is not taking his place for granted ahead of the summer World Cup in Russia. The 28-year-old has been picked in Mexico’s 28-man provisional squad for the global tournament but he remains anxious over whether he would make the final 23-man squad under Juan Carlos Osorio.

Aquino has been a crucial player for El Tri over the past seven years and he featured in seven of the country’s 10 matches during the World Cup qualification phase. Despite this, the experienced attacker admits that he is not resting on his laurels and wants to make the final cut ahead of the World Cup.

Javier Aquino not taking World Cup spot for granted

“I don’t feel safe until I’m with the team in Russia. Even though I’ve been a regular, anything can happen, everything can change. I’m happy and have the desire to get to work. We’re going to give all our effort to stay on the list of 23. We know its coach Osorio’s decision, but we’ll do everything possible to be there,” he said.

Whilst anything can happen between now and June 4, it is unlikely Osorio will leave Aquino from the World Cup squad considering most of the additional selections have been done on the defensive side, where Osorio has a few injury concerns. El Tri are scheduled to play a friendly against Wales in Los Angeles on May 28 and the team is thereafter expected to return to the training base prior to their June fixtures against Scotland and Denmark. Two days after that, El Tri will travel to Russia for the World Cup where they have their campbased innorth-western Moscow.

Mexico have reached the last 16 stage of the World Cup in each of the previous six editions of the tournament and their aim would surely lie on bettering this result to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986.

Hector Herrera Urges Mexico To Shed Small-Side Mentality

Porto midfielder Hector Herrera has urged Mexico to shed their small-side mentality ahead of this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia. El Tri have been ousted in the round of 16 in each of their previous six editions of the global tournament but Herrera has urged the nation to push for a quarter-final spot this time around.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Marca, he said: “We have to stop these fears, stop believing we’re a small team, stop going on about ‘the fifth game’, believing that we won’t reach the fifth match. We have to think about becoming champions, in wanting to lift the World Cup. I think if we reach the next round, it is proof that we are up for big things and can cause that surprise and impose the feeling that we are a great side at the World Cup.”

Herrera has been one of Porto’s leading performers ahead of the World Cup and he has managed 63 caps for the nation since making his debut in 2012. Despite this, he is not taking anything for granted and the midfielder remains anxious over whether he would be picked by Juan Carlos Osorio for the upcoming tournament.

Mexico have been one of the regulars at the World Cup and they will be appearing for the 16th time at the global competition this summer. Only Brazil (21), Germany (19), Italy (18) and Argentina (17) have managed to feature in more editions than the El Tri. Regardless of this, they cannot expect an easier route to the playoffs after being pitted against Germany, Sweden, and South Korea in their group.

The North American nation begin their World Cup campaign against reigning champions Germany on June 17 and a defeat in that game would surely see them playing catch-up to make the knockout stage. Sweden and South Korea have improved on their team strength in recent years and the former most-recently shook the footballing world by ousting Italy in the World Cup playoff.

Javier Hernandez Eyeing World Cup Success With Mexico

Mexico international Javier Hernandez does not want to hide his ambition for the upcoming World Cup. The West Ham United forward believes El Tri have the potential to create upsets at the global tournament, and thinks the nation should head to Russia with the aim of securing a maiden World Cup crown.

El Tri have failed to progress beyond the round of 16 stage in any of the previous six World Cups, and the focus is once more on the nation as they embark to break this run in Russia. Speaking to Univision, Hernandez was asked about Mexico’s aspirations at the World Cup where he highlighted that the side have enough quality to qualify for the quarter-final stage and further.

He said: “Nobody told me that I couldn’t join the best leagues in the world, win the Premier League twice, reach a Champions League final. No one told Hugo [Sanchez] that he couldn’t go to the best club in the world, Real Madrid, be the ‘Pentapichichi.’ No-one told Rafa [Marquez] that he couldn’t win two Champions Leagues or play in all the World Cups he has. We want to be world champions, of course, and that’s why we’re going [to Russia]. We don’t want to put limits in any way.”

Hernandez is presently in San Jose, California preparing for Mexico’s friendly against Iceland on Friday. From then, the nation travel to Dallas to play Croatia next week, but their main test of their World Cup ambitions could lie when they tackle Germany in their opening game of the 2018 World Cup. Meanwhile, Hernandez could by then have swapped clubs, having struggled to find his feet with West Ham United this term.

The Mexican was openly welcomed after his return to the English top-flight, but things have not as planned for the striker, who finds himself in-and-out of the Hammers line-up. The ex-Manchester United man has previously admitted that he had sought the possibility of leaving the Capital outfit during the winter transfer window.