With one month remaining before the start of the 2014 World Cup, Mexico manager Miguel Herrera continues to prepare for the highly-anticipated tournament where his talented squad will face high-end competition including Group A opponents Brazil, Cameroon and Croatia. El Tri advanced to the nation’s sixth-consecutive World Cup thanks to an impressive World Cup Qualifying playoff triumph over New Zealand and with upcoming friendlies against Israel, Ecuador, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal nearing, the former Liga MX boss revealed his complete roster Friday afternoon in order to build further cohesiveness ahead of the summer games. Comfortable with his squad, El Piojo noted that he holds high expectations for a Mexico team that struggled throughout qualification.
“We’re going to reach the final,” Herrera said with confidence recently. “When you arrive at the top you have to keep looking up with the idea of changing everything and winning a World Cup. It’s very difficult. But if you don’t go with that dream, then why are you going? We don’t want to be a little pebble. We want to be a big rock. The pressure is strong to do something different. We’re going with the idea that we will be successful. We know that it hasn’t been a good year. But it’s a new year. We’d like to go to the final. It’s difficult, but as a team you have to go in with that mentality. A seventh game. Be the champions.”
One player hoping to find international success at the upcoming tournament is Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez. Though he hasn’t received ample playing time at Old Trafford since joining the English giants from Guadalajara in 2010, Chicharito remains confident that he’ll be in top form once Mexico begins its World Cup run next month. Noting that his scoring ability remains in top form and that he is completely ready for the challenge of facing the world’s best, the 25-year-old talent said recently that he’s looking forward to representing his country once again.
“The World Cup is coming so I need time to prove, whether they give me one minute or 90, that I'm ready and that I want to contribute to the team to help us have a better season,” Hernandez said. It's been a very hard season for me, but I'm trying to be very patient, and to work to try to speak on the pitch. I'll keep working, be patient and speak on the pitch like I always do.”
Mexican National Team -- 2014 World Cup Roster
Goalkeepers: José de Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Francisco Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)
Defenders: Paul Aguilar (América), Miguel Layún (America), Diego Reyes (Porto), Rafael Márquez (Leon), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol), Carlos Salcido (Tigres), Andrés Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen), Francisco Javier Rodríguez (América)
Midfielders: Juan Carlos Medina (América), José Juan Vázquez (León), Isaác Brizuela (Toluca), Luis Montes (León), Carlos Peña (León), Marco Fabián (Cruz Azul), Héctor Herrera (Porto)
Forwards: Raúl Jiménez (América), Alan Pulido (Tigres), Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández (Manchester United), Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal), Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna)
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