Mexico coach, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, will start the year 2022, which he hopes to be in the World Cup in Qatar, with the task of repairing the road after 2021, which occurred in his worst year as a Mexican coach.
The former Barcelona coach signed with Mexico in 2019, having become the MLS champion with Atlanta United and one of the top careers for the ‘triple’ strategist.
In addition to the American League title, Martino won the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona, led Argentina to the Copa America finals twice and placed Paraguay in the final of the same continental tournament and in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Martino’s main task was to lead Mexico to Qatar 2022. His first year was uneventful, he won the Gold Cup and lost only one game to Argentina, out of 13 contested.
Martino was met with acclaim from the press and fans who praised his style of play and control of the locker room for a Mexican team with a history of indiscipline and each time they reiterated his resume.
However, the year 2020 arrived and with it the epidemic that caused the Mexicans to halt Operation Martino until the last four months of the year, when they played friendly duels with victories over Guatemala, the Netherlands, South Korea and Japan and a draw against them. Algeria.
With credit and without surprises, Tata kicked off 2021 as doubts began when he fell in the CONCACAF League of Nations final against its most formidable rival, the United States, in June.
The bleak environment began for Martino, with complaints that due to lack of discipline, he decided not to call up striker Javier Hernandez, with a good moment in the LA Galaxy, and chose the naturalized Mexican Rogelio Funes Mori, from Monterrey.
He reached the Gold Cup in July and, without convincing his critics, accepted the final, in which he lost again to the United States, which did not call up their best players.
The CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers were Martino’s last test of the year, and although he managed to keep Mexico undefeated and as leaders in their first matches, a loss away to the United States and Canada in November relegated the “Trio” to center the third. With the risk of playing replay.
“The balance I have in 2021 is that it’s the worst year in our management, it’s the worst year since I’ve been here, I understand it that way, and that’s how the results say,” Martino admitted on Wednesday after Mexico’s last game. In 2021, he drew 2-2 with Chile in a friendly match.
Martino will have his first chance to make up in January, as he visits Jamaica in the World Cup qualifying rounds and hosts Costa Rica at the Azteca Stadium, a match that will draw no fans because the Mexican Football Federation has been penalized for its homophobic cry.
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