The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) officially announced today that Gerardo “Tata” Martino has been hired as coach of the Mexican national team.
The head coaching position has been vacant since Juan Carlos Osorio’s departure after the 2018 World Cup last summer, with Ricardo Ferretti serving as the interim coach during Mexico’s fall friendlies.
Mexico fell 0-2 to Argentina on Friday night in the first of two international friendlies against the South Americans.
El Tri had an early chance through Raúl Jiménez, who met a cross from Marco Fabián with a diving header, but saw his attempt stopped by the crossbar in just the 2nd minute. Soon after that, Ramiro Funes Mori slipped and allowed Alan Pulido to play in Fabián, but his shot was easily stopped by Agustín Marchesín.
Mexico will take on Argentina this Friday in the first of two November friendlies between El Tri and La Albiceleste.
The first game will be played in Córdoba, where Argentina will host Mexico in the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. El Tri is still under the interim management of Ricardo Ferretti, while Argentina is also awaiting a new coach after Jorge Sampaoli left after the World Cup.
After beating Costa Rica 3-2 on Friday, Mexico will now take on Chile in another international friendly. Interim coach Ricardo Ferretti used a Liga MX-based lineup in the game against CONCACAF competition Costa Rica, but Tuesday’s game will see El Tri’s European-based players take the field.
Chile fell 3-0 to Peru in their own friendly last Friday, a result that leaves La Roja winless in three. But the last time these two national teams faced off, Chile walked away with a stunning 7-0 victory, a result that Mexico will be anxious to erase from people’s minds with a strong showing in La Corregidora.
Costa Rica twice took the lead and twice failed to hold it as Mexico came back for a 3-2 win in this entertaining international friendly in the Estadio Universitario.
Mexico started off a little shaky, with a back pass nearly escaping Manuel Gibrán Lajud in the 10th minute for an own-goal, although the keeper was able to recover and grab the ball before it crossed the line.
The Mexican national team will take on their Costa Rican counterparts in an international friendly in the Estadio Universitario on Thursday, October 11.
El Tri is still under the interim management of Tigres UANL coach Ricardo Ferretti, while the Ticos have just announced the hiring of Gustavo Matosas as their new coach. Matosas will be watching this friendly from the stands, however, as he will not take charge until after this month’s matches.
In their second September friendly, Mexico will face the U.S. at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Tuesday evening.
Both Mexico and the U.S. were in action last Friday, and both CONCACAF teams fell to South American opponents; El Tri lost 4-1 to Uruguay while Brazil beat the U.S. 2-0.
Both teams have young rosters and are under the direction of interim coaches, and many players will be participating in this regional rivalry for the first time – and will be eager to make their mark on it.
Mexico was overpowered by Uruguay to the tune of 4-1 when the two met in a friendly in NRG Stadium in Houston in both teams’ first match since the World Cup. It was an exciting game that saw three penalty kicks awarded as well as a brace by Luis Suárez.
El Tri had the better of the early play, and they had the better of possession throughout the game, but it was Uruguay who took the lead. In the 22nd minute, José María Giménez headed home a corner kick to give the South Americans the 0-1 lead.
In their first match since the 2018 World Cup, Mexico will take on Uruguay in an international friendly in NRG Stadium in Houston.
Interim head coach Ricardo Ferretti has chosen a young team for El Tri’s September friendlies, with fifteen players under age 25 and nine without any caps, while some familiar faces such as Chicharito Hernández and Carlos Vela were not called up.
Juan Carlos Osorio has parted ways with the Mexican national team. The Colombian manager has turned down contract extension offers from the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) following the 2018 World Cup, where El Tri bowed out in the Round of Sixteen.
