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In Mexico, soccer is considered a religion. Everyone has their own colors, but underneath it all, the green, white and red unites us all.
Being blatantly honest, our country never used to win. Only in recent years has young talent in Mexico risen. It all began in 2005 with our very own U-17 world champions, but the biggest feat was without a doubt the gold medal in London 2012. Curiously, both of these greatest triumphs have been against Brazil, the biggest winner in the world of soccer.
Fast forward four years, and a new generation is coming hard. This time with more talent, more experience, more hunger…but also with more pressure and less experience.
Photo via Kery Ruiz
The Mexico U-23 team that will go to the Olympic Games in Rio is a strange mix between U-23 and U-20 players. The moment you watch them you can see they are, many of them, still kids. They have so much experience, it is true, but there are some things about the game that only come with age.
I have been a correspondent for the Mexico national team many times. But this one was different. I was with the guys, I talked to many of them, we had fun, took selfies and posted stuff on Snapchat. Maybe we were all kids in there.
I am based in Barcelona, so I had to travel to Lisbon and then took a taxi from there to a small town called Rio Maior - which basically means “big river.” When you do my job you have to be constantly communicating with the team’s press officer, he (or she) can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Photo via Kery Ruiz
This time she was the most awesome press officer in history. All doors were open for us since day 1. The team began training in the stadium and shortly after, we began talking to the players. When you interview older guys it is, in a way, more boring. They are used to many questions and have learned prefabricated answers for them. Is no surprise hearing the same thing every time they’re asked about a win or a loss.
With these boys it was different, more fun. We kind of connected. Plus, we were the only media there, so they were excited about it.
After those two hours of work, that was it. They headed back to their sport complex and we went back to the hotel to edit and send clips, pictures and articles about the day. When you are in a big city, this job is really cool, because after you send everything, you have the day for yourself. But being in a small town… It. Is. Very. Boring.
Unless you find more work to do, like I did because I was recording my personal Vlog. More recording, more editing and more time spent next to my laptop and many cups of coffee.
The second day of training was, probably, the best experience I had with a National Team. We were next to the players and after getting to know each other on the first day, we were almost like friends.
Photo via Kery Ruiz
We watched them train, we joked with the press officer, the players and the coach. We even began taking selfies and I was posting in Erick Torres’ Snapchat. Afterwards more interviews, some chill time talking about soccer, what they expect from the future and how they carry the pressure of being considered the favourites to win the gold medal in Rio 2016.
Here’s where it gets very interesting. These guys handle pressure very well. Fans in Mexico love or hate their national team, it is a constant struggle, no matter the age group. But the kids are enjoying this moment. You can see how proud they feel wearing Mexico’s shirt.
They know they are very talented and they are confident. It is probably because of the work of Coach Raúl Gutiérrez. As a former player and national team member, he knows perfectly all the things players go through and he has taught them how to not be affected by public opinion.
A team photo, coach Gutierrez is pictured top right. Photo via Kery Ruiz.
El Potro, as he is nicknamed, has been a great mentor and protector. Most of his team has been under his tenure since they were a part of the U-17 national team. Together they were world champions in 2011 and runners up in 2013.
El Potro is the right guy with the right talent. He knows the kids, he understands them but he is also demanding the absolute best of them.
This probably was not very evident in the pre-Olympic tour, since Mexico lost against Japan and Portugal, both rivals that will also be in Rio 2016. But Potro Gutiérrez was experimenting, trying new formations and getting to know some new players. It is a very normal situation.
Photo via Kery Ruiz
For now, all the players are going back to their teams. The next task will be the Festival International "Espoirs" de Toulon. We all should be looking closely, because here is where we will began to see the real level of this team.
It is the final stop before Rio 2016, which means the final squad will be there. This team has more talent and more experience than the one in London, way more. They have the confidence and a great guy. But they operate in the shadow of the squad that won Mexico’s first gold medal, and that is a very big load of pressure. If they can handle it right, they will be the rival to beat in Rio 2016.
