Mexico won a World Cup knockout tie for the first time since 1986. Four friendlies later, Márquez is winless and Jiménez is out.
Mexico's best World Cup in 40 years ended in the last 16; four winless friendlies into Rafael Márquez's tenure, Raúl Jiménez's knee surgery has left the new coach without his striker for November's Nations League quarter-final against Jamaica.
Mexico had not won a World Cup knockout tie since 1986. They did it in the last 32, beating Ecuador 2-0. Then England beat them 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca. 12
Javier Aguirre left afterwards, Mexico's most successful coach by wins. His assistant, Rafael Márquez — five World Cups as a player, seven years at Barcelona — took over in July. 3
Four games, no wins
Márquez has not won since: 1-1 with Colombia in Baltimore, 1-1 with Peru, 0-3 against the United States outside Phoenix, 0-2 against Chile in Los Angeles. 4
Récord's front page answered the United States defeat with "¡Qué Horror!", and Márquez is the first Mexico coach without a win in his first three games since Manuel Lapuente in 1997. 45
"The other issues were terrible mistakes where, ultimately, you practically gifted those three goals," he said. 5
The squad
Raúl Rangel keeps goal, with Johan Vásquez and César Montes at centre-back, Érik Lira and Obed Vargas in midfield, Julián Quiñones and Santiago Giménez up front. 2
Giménez, on loan at Porto from Milan, still needs minutes, Márquez said. 5
Márquez wants to play like Barcelona and says he cannot: "you don't have the raw material, so you have to adapt." 4
Mexico pressed the United States man-to-man and held 61% of the ball, then lost to two goalkeeping errors and a loose back-pass. 45
Sixteen Mexicans play in Europe's major leagues, none for a club near the top of one. 4
World Cup history
Mexico's best runs came as hosts: quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986, losing to Italy and then to West Germany on penalties. 6 In 2022 they went out in the group stage, the first time since 1978. 6
What comes next
Raúl Jiménez, 35, was Mexico's striker at the World Cup. He damaged the medial ligament in his left knee against Everton on 16 September, and surgery on Friday will keep him out until January. 7
He misses both legs of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Jamaica: the first at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday 14 November, 8pm local / 8pm ET / 5pm PT, the second at Estadio Monterrey on Tuesday 17 November, 8:30pm local / 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT. 8
Win that and Mexico reach the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in March. 8
Whether four friendlies were a blip or the shape of the Márquez era is what Kingston will start to settle.
Quote of the Day
"We planted a seed today that will bear fruit in the future. I'm sure there are great things in store for us." — Érik Lira, Mexico's midfielder, after the England defeat 2
References
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