Carlos Ochoa

Ever since Carlos Ochoa was first called up to the Mexican National team I never liked him. I considered Ochoa an also-ran that had no business wearing the Tricolor jersey. I even celebrated when Ochoa was dropped from the Mexican squad that would dispute the 02 World Cup.

Eight years have passed since my first encounter with the balding striker and while it was easy to pretend that he did not exist that has all changed. Not only was Ochoa once again called up to the Tricolor but he signed with my beloved Chivas de Guadalajara!

I would have thought that if Ochoa could not hack it as a youngster that at the ripe age of 30 he had no business representing the national team much less Chivas. Well, Ochoa has proven me wrong. As the old saying goes “Goles son Amores” and during the Interliga tourney Ochoa won many fans over by scoring four goals and helping Chivas qualify to the Copa Libertadores. Then on Chivas season opener, January 17th which is also my birthday, Ochoa started off in grand fashion scoring a double against Cruz Azul to finish the game with a 3-3 tie. I now have a new found appreciation for Ochoa.

Bravisimo

Omar Bravo's 58th minute strike, to help Chivas rout Puebla four-nil, marked his 100th career league goal. The Chivas striker had already made Club history, in the 2007 Clausura season, winning the league goal scoring championship. A feat not achieved by a Club Guadalajara player since Salvador "Chava" Reyes title in the 61-62season.

A Season of Faith's Perfection

With the Mexican National Team in dissaray, during Hugo Sanchez tenure as head coach, I had all but ignored club America's spiriling downfall. I had not been paying close attention, too worried with the on-goings of the Tricolor, to enjoy the rival club's demise.

Hugo is now gone, names of possible replacements have been mentioned, but I no longer care. I am now fully consumed with the car wreck that is Club America. This past Sunday, however, was rather gratifying. Playing at an almost deserted Azteca stadium, against former cross-town rivals Atlante, the Aguilas misserable season made the record books.

A 79th minute strike from Giancarlo Maldonado, a goal which should have been called offside, sentenced the Aguilas to last place in the table. With two match weeks left in the season America had secured being the worst team in the league, not even winning their next two games will improve their situation. Best of all, my beloved Chivas are still leading the table with 29 points, compared to America's 8 points.

Indeed, this is the worst season ever for America which since being acquired by media conglomerates Televisa had made a name for themselves as one of the Mexican leagues top clubs. However, a serious of administrative decisions in recent years has now turned the once pround team into the worst club of the Clausura 2008 season.

Wet & Dry footy

Tampa, Florida - Hours after holding the USMNT to a one-goal draw, in the CONCACAF pre-Olympic tournament, five members of the Cuban national team abandoned the team’s hotel.

José Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia Baró, Yenier Bermúdez (Capitan),Yordany Alvarez, and Loanni Cartaya Prieto are all unaccounted for, raising the possibility they may be trying to defect. CONCACAF officials will meet with the Cuban delegation to discuss the situation and they could ask Cuba to forfeit the tournament.

Player defection from the Cuban national team seems to have become the norm ever since the squad begun to regulalry qualify to CONCACAF tourneys. Two players defected in the 2002 Gold Cup. The most famous, however, has been Maykel Galindo. The Chivas USA striker sought asylum in the United States and successfully defected after representing his country in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Two more players left the Cuban national team during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Lester More, a 28-year-old forward, and Osvaldo Alonso, a 21-year-old midfielder, soon after arrived at Chivas-USA, however, neither player made the team.

Kwa-ta-mock and I

It has long been said that you either hate or love Cuauhtémoc Blanco, there is no in-between. This has indeed been my relationship with the player. As a Chiva, I celebrated when my beloved Guadalajara put five goals past America, it is one of my most cherished Superclasico moments. Blanco weeping during post match press conference only made the game more memorable.

And when Blanco put on the Tricolor jersey I had no choice but to cheer him on. It was a weird feeling, like cheating on my girlfriend, but it was for a good cause. So, I was happy when he signed with Spanish outfit Real Valladolid and abandoned the wretched confines of the Televisa owned club America.

Seeing Ancil Elcock chop down Blanco during world cup qualifying was brutal but I would later look at a picture of the Trinitarian’s butchery with a smile, as Blanco had returned to America.

I guess the only time I felt confused was when Ricardo Lavolpe opted to leave out Blanco from the 2006 World Cup Squad. At first I found great pleasure in the Americanistas misery, but deep down I knew his presence was needed with the Tricolor.

When Blanco announced he had signed with the Chicago Fire I rejoiced. First because the enemy team had lost their icon and second because Chivas USA would now have the prefect antagonist in Blanco. I even dreamed of a Chiva-Chicago final.

However, with the elimination of Chivas USA from the MLS playoffs I now find my self, once again, on Cuauhtémoc’s side. Blanco has the chance to redeem himself, as he was never able to triumph abroad. His knee injury, caused by Elcock, pretty much put an end to his venture in La Liga, and in many ways Blanco’s desire to play outside of Mexico.

Also, Blanco can improve the image of the failing Mexican star that the likes of Jorge Campos, Luis Hernandez and Carlos Hermosillo left behind in their mediocre run through MLS.

Football Manager 08

A few days ago I was offered the task of helping update the Mexican League for SIgames FM08 and being a football manager addict I did not hesitate. It has been good fun, and while I only have a Beta version of the game the improvements over last years version are quite notable.

What has been most problematic, however, has been updating the Mexican 2nd div: primera A. There is not much infor available from the teams, most dont even have a web page.

Still, the Mexico team did a great job and the top players are all there. Including Leon striker Michael Silva; best remembered from the Chilean u-20 that finished third, and even clashed with the police, in the recent FIFA Youth World Cup.

The Borg – Resistance is Futile

Jared Borgetti, long dismissed as a washed up player, continues to be the Mexican national team’s leading striker. After ten years with the “Seleccion” only Nery Castillo threatens the Borg’s position as the TriColor’s goal scorer, but even then Castillo has a long way to go before he reaches Borgetti’s 43 career goals.

What makes Borgetti so irreplaceable is Mexico’s scarcity in the center forward position. The Borg seems to be the last in a short line of towering strikers. Although not as tall as his predecessors, Luis Roberto Alves “Zague”, Carlos Hermosillo and Ricardo Pelaez, Borgetti has proven to be far more productive.

The only player that seemed destined to replace the Borg was Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca, whose loan goal against Portugal in the FIFA 06 World Cup did very little to cement his position within the Tricolor. The World Cup was seen as Borgetti’s last stand, especially after his only goal helped Argentina level the score in the round of sixteen match-up.

Still, it would be Borgetti who would bounce back and once again win a spot in the starting eleven. During the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup Borgetti scored two goals, helping Mexico reach the final, while Kikin was relegated to the bench, and later dropped from the Copa America squad.

Borgetti’s also missed the South American tourney, due to injury, prompting head coach Hugo Sanchez to call in Miguel Angel Landin; one of the few young players that can assume Borgetti’s role in the national team.

The Morelia striker, however, saw very little playing time. Which, I find somewhat alarming given that he is the next in line to inherit the Borg’s position, which judging by U-20 squad seems to be all but forgotten. Despite the immense talent of the youth team, none of the players have the characteristics of the center forward.

Going back a generation we get a quite a few players that got left on the way side. Antonio De Nigris was at one point the next best thing; he now seems to be abandoned in Turkey. Others that made little noise but had great potential are Isaac Romo, Roberto Nurse, and Santiago Fernandez, who left the Barcelona youth teams to return to Club America.

Given the lack of options the Borg, at 34 years of age, could very well become Mexico’s own version of Roger Milla by the time South Africa 2010 rolls around. That is unless head coach Hugo Sanchez decides he doesn’t need a center forward or finds someone better.