Mexican Olympic team: Three factors for “Cubo”

March 14th, 2012 | by: Al | Comments Off

Another guest post by blogger Bryan W from TheFutbolBlog. Thanks, Bryan!

In February we all heard, or saw the disaster that was the Mexico U-23 against the USA U-23. The USA managed to score two goals in less than five minutes. Mexico never rebounded in that game, and the Yanks walked away with a boosted confidence heading into Olympic qualifying. Just a few weeks after the game, Erick “Cubo” Torres was added to the roster. What lies ahead for Torres are three-factors he needs to prove/address.

1) U-20 World cup was just a phase

Erick had been catching the eye of Mexican fans for some time heading into the U-20 World cup in Colombia. Mexico made a lot of noise in the tournament taking third place. Yet, Torres was not himself in any fashion in the tournament. In fact, against Brazil, he did not even look prepared to play. What Torres has now, is the ability to show that he is indeed back. He has been playing at a high level ever since with Chivas, and now is the perfect time for him to translate that with the Olympic squad.

2) More than a club player

Mexico has had its share of players who did very well in Mexico, only to fall short with the National side. As mentioned, “Cubo” has been having a great run with his club in Guadalajara for the past few seasons. What fans want to see is if he can be the force for Mexico that he is for Chivas. He has unique skills, which could be of great use for the Olympic side. As a young player, Torres is playing with some of the best in the Mexican league. He needs to show that what he is learning with the veterans is indeed applicable with other younger players.

3) A missing spark

When we look back at the highlights against the USA U-23, Mexico seemed to have a serious missing force at striker. I really think Jeronimo Amione can be a great player, but he may need a little more time before he is completely ready for that role. This is where “Cubo” comes in to the picture. His skill in the penalty area is comparable to a younger version of Chicharito. This is a presence Mexico really needed against the U.S. side. Fabian was forcing too many things at once, and the lack in striker was a major reason of this. Torres can come in to the Olympic side, and possibly address this issue immediately. If he plays with the passion, and confidence he does in the Mexican league…then there is no doubt he can do so this upcoming Olympic qualifying.

-Bryan W