👀 Santi's struggles, defensive designs & more: What to watch in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals
Mexico, USMNT, Panama & CanMNT thoughts!
When the Concacaf Nations League was introduced, there were plenty of moans from the region’s biggest teams. Another competition? Geared toward helping the little guys get in action? Who needs it?
Few teams - big or small - are complaining now. It turns out, this is the moment the competition was waiting for.
Three teams (sorry, Panama) go into the finals not only desperate to lift a trophy but also feeling that this competition is the best tune-up they could have with teams in every other confederation playing World Cup qualification matches.
Here are five things I’ll be watching closely Thursday when the semifinals kick off:
🇲🇽 If Santi Gimenez’s Mexico breakout doesn’t come now…will it ever?
Santi Gimenez scores goals. It’s what he does. He is a goal scorer. The capacity to put a soccer ball into the net has taken him from Cruz Azul to Feyenoord to AC Milan, where the 23-year-old moved this winter.
Except, Santi Gimenez does not score goals for Mexico. At least, he doesn’t score goals for Mexico often.
Gimenez has played 32 times for El Tri and has scored just four goals. Two of them came in official matches: A cherry on the top of a 3-1 win against Haiti and the winning goal of the Gold Cup final against Panama, Gimenez’s one truly critical contribution during his Mexico career.
With Raul Jimenez enjoying a resurgence at Fulham and having been the star for El Tri in their second-leg fight-back against Honduras to get to this point, Mexico’s rising star may be reduced to supersub status.
El Tri manager Javier Aguirre also has alluded to the fact that they could play together, which would push the team into a 4-4-2 setup that could suit a team that too ofte has lacked a creative jolt from a playmaker - either playing as a ‘classic 10’ or moving in from the outside.
“Managers are always thinking about what’s best for the team. We call up the players who are in the best form. Of course, “both “Jimenezes” are included. I have no doubt about that,” said Aguirre on Tuesday, making a joke that works a lot better spoken aloud than written. “We’ve got two good players in this position.
“Players are always going through streaks. Santiago has five or six without scoring, but, of course, both can start.”
Still, while some of Gimenez’s struggles to find the back of the net can be attributed to the supporting cast, or to being in a rough run of form, he has had many opportunities to score for Mexico and hasn’t been able to do so.
Another Gold Cup is on the way, and with AC Milan not in the Club World Cup it’s likely Santi will be there to make one final case in official competitions before the big show. But what seemed like it would be his job without a doubt suddenly looks like it’s the veteran Raul’s to lose unless Santi can show this month that he’s as good a scorer in an El Tri kit as he is in the European clubs’ jerseys he has worn.
🤕 Suspensions, injuries will make nearly every manager get creative at the back
There may be good news for fans who like goals: Almost nobody’s back line will be at full strength for this tournament.
Mauricio Pochettino and the United States are working without typical left back Antonee Robinson, who along with defender Auston Trusty was replaced on the roster because of ‘medical issues’ after initially being called in.
Mexico has to figure out who is going to join Johan Vazquez at center back for the first match, with Cesar Montes suspended after picking up yellow cards in each leg of the quarterfinals against Honduras. Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said central midfielder Erik Lira will start, leaving the possibility open that Edson Alvarez slides back as a center back. Club América center back Ramon Juarez is another possibility.
But while Mexico has a suspension, at least it doesn’t have a suspension and Panama is missing star fullback Michael Amir Murillo, whose hamstring issue suffered with Marseille keep him from making the trip to California at all. But the Central Americans also are without Fidel Escobar in the first match after his late direct red in the second leg of the quarterfinal against Costa Rica.
Canada is the only team that looks set to field what you’d say is the best four. And, unlike in recent years, it’s a good-looking back four as well. Alphonso Davies, Derek Cornelius, Moise Bombito and Alistair Johnston combine to give a Canada team that once was watching the grainiest of tape trying to find any decent defender to add to the squad a unit that will fluster forward and eagerly get into the attack in possession as well.
All in all, we could see some unfamiliar partnerships and some chemistry issues from players not accustomed to playing alongside each other.