This match may be just an international friendly, but one game before Mexico kicks off their 2011 Gold Cup (or Copa Oro) campaign, Jose Manuel ‘Chepo’ de la Torre is still searching for answers when it comes to his depth. His starting XI is more or less set in stone at this point, but many of his bench options have looked questionable. The continuity is there with his starting XI, and at the same time, a couple of those players will be unavailable to start. As a result, Chepo will probably mix it up a bit tonight. Possibly the biggest benefactor of this will be Giovani Dos Santos.
Mexico Vs. New Zealand, 2011 International Friendly: El Tri’s Final Tune-Up Before Gold Cup
Unfortunately, Sinha is not with the team, as he has traveled back to Brazil following the death of his father. It is unknown whether or not he will be available for Mexico’s opening Gold Cup match against El Salvador on Sunday, but that seems highly unlikely at the moment. The man who will take his place is almost certainly Giovani Dos Santos, an incredible young talent who is still miles away from reaching his ceiling. Tonight and on Sunday, he will likely get a chance to show that he deserves the No. 10 shirt and No. 10 position in the starting lineup when the 35-year-old Sinha retires.
Also looking to cement their place as top bench options/heir apparent starters will be striker Aldo de Nigris, left back Jose Torres Nilo, central defender Hector Moreno, and central midfielder Jesus Zavala. All are very talented players, but none of them are currently in Chepo’s first choice team, or so it seems. All four need to be ready to make an impact in Gold Cup, and they will most likely get a chance to prove that they are worthy of a step up into the spotlight tonight.
New Zealand’s squad features a mix of Gold Cup veterans, up and coming young players, and MLS-based players. They should provide a solid challenge for a Mexico B+ team, but the Mexicans are the clear favorites tonight. Big, physical, and athletic, New Zealand is much like a poor man’s United States, making them a good warm-up team for the Gold Cup.
The match kicks off at 10 pm ET from Denver, CO and can be seen on Univision in the United States.
For more on this game, the Gold Cup, and Mexican football, visit SB Nation’s Mexican football blog FMF State Of Mind.
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