The Mexican National Soccer Team advanced to the semifinals in the very last minutes of extra time on Sunday against Costa Rica. Striker Oribe Peralta received a controversial penalty kick when Paul Aguilar centered a ball into the 18-yard box and Costa Rican defender Miller appeared to foul Peralta. The penalty kick was taken by Captain Andres Guardado and secured El Tri a ticket to Atlanta to face Panama.

The game was not as boring or as disappointing as the last matches against Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago but there were frustrating moments. A lack of finishing in the box and stalling with changes were just some of the crucial aspects to take from this game. Here’s what to expect for the match against Panama on Wednesday:

1. Jose “Tecatito” Coronoa deserves a starting position.

Carlos Vela and Oribe Peralta are great strikers. However, during the course of this tournament, they have lacked the real power to take on the defenders one and one and really attempt to be individual players when it is needed. They focused mainly on trying to find another teammate that is more open they are rather than try be a little more improvisation up front. There have been great goals from both against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago but against Costa Rica, the flair was not quite there from either of them. When “Tecatito” came in, there was flair that has not been seen since Gio Dos Santos’ own beginnings at El Tri. There was a willingness to take on the challenge and try the absolute best to get the ball in the goal. There were more individual chances from the Mexican side once “Tecatito” went in compared to all their games combined. He at least deserves to start the game and see how he does the first half or at least be given more minutes during the game against Panama.

2. Andres Guardado is and deserves to be Captain.

Aside from Tecatito, Guardado was clearly the man of the match for this game. Whether it be from the inspiration that the newspaper scandal influenced, Guardado came out that day to play and play as best to his potential. And succeeded. His stamina never gave up and his agility to come back down and defend even when he had just finished taking on towards Costa Rica’s goal never stopped. Even despite playing the full 90 minutes, the extra time did not seem to phase him. He continued searching for the ball. His possession and passes were secure. It only seemed fit that he was allowed to take the penalty and as captain, secure his team’s chances of advancing. Great talent should only continue to shine from the Mexican midfielder.

3. Alanis replacing Corona is risky but must step up to the plate.

Yasser Corona went on Twitter shortly following the game to announce that his ruptured meniscus would leave him out for the remainder of the tournament. Mexican team officials shortly announced afterward that Oswaldo Alanis would be taking Corona’s spot. Panama has not shown considerable strong attacking from its strikers but they should not be underestimated and with Alanis’ lack of playing time, this could be problematic. Corona’s style of defending was a bit loose and at times, the pace he showed was not to the highest caliber resulting in a few too many fouls from his part. Alanis should try to avoid committing any fouls and should always be on his toes to not avoid getting outrun.

4. Ochoa’s confidence in the goal might be challenged.

Just like Alanis and the rest of the Mexican defense, Ochoa should not underestimate the ability of Panama’s striker. The history of the Trinidad & Tobago should prove that case. Prior to the Costa Rica game, Ochoa made the assertive statement that it was not the defense’s fault that Trinidad and Tobago was able to score four goals on them in such a short amount of time. He still has confidence on his defensive line and that is crucial going into this semifinal game. His talent has not quite been tested and to ensure not one ball slips by, he must continue having that confidence as well as directing his back players.

5. Herrera should trust his instinct and make changes when he sees problems.

One of the most central concerns about Mexico’s playing is Herrera’s reluctance to make changes when players begin to struggle on the field. The most notable has been Hector Herrera getting significant playing time despite the lack of actually result. His passes have been off and his physical conditioning has appeared off during a majority of this tournament. When he was finally taken out towards the end of the game against Costa Rica, there was a definite difference in the level of playing. The same when Vela was subbed out for “Tecatito.” Herrera claims the substitutions were technical decisions and rightfully so. But these technical decisions must be made sooner so that he does not prolong the lack of goals to continue for any longer.

The Mexican National Soccer Team joined forces Thursday after a Mexican Newspaper called Diario Rècord published an article stating that the players had a secret meeting behind manager Miguel Herrera’s back before departing to New Jersey for their upcoming match against Costa Rica. The article also stressed a very broken relationship between the coach and its veteran players, specifically Andres Guardado, Miguel Layun and Guillermo Ochoa. The underlying message of the article was that this stress was what was causing such horrible results from Mexico during this tournament to which many players, including those mentioned, took to their social media to quickly disprove.

Other players including Miguel Layun, Moises Munoz, Diego Reyes and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez helped trend #MientoComoRecord (I lie like Record does) and began to fabricate facts about their lives, essentially laughing at the publication for writing such lies about the team.

Following the response of the players, the official website for the team sent a statement out to its fans that indirectly mentioned the article:

Translated: “This team has remained united, strong and committed with the only objective being to lift the Gold Cup. This unity has remained throughout all the practices, moments, and plane rides day after day.

We are aware that the results of our past matches have not met with the expectations you have of us and we recognize we have failed in this circumstance. We know things have not turned out the way we want them to but we always give the best we can because as professionals, we are proud to wear the Mexico jersey.

[This Sunday], like we have for every game we have had, we will come out with the full intention to win and with that, obtain a pass to the semifinals and hopefully give you, our fans, the joy you deserve for always believing and supporting us.”

While there is much respect to be given to El Tri for showing outstanding unity, the performance on the field leaves much doubt.

Following their 6-0 victory against Cuba, the team struggled against Guatemala that resulted in a tie and then embarrassed themselves by going from a 2-0 lead against Trinidad & Tobago to a 4-4 tie. Even if the story is in fact fabricated, the intention to create hostility is not completely crazy, although a bit far-fetched.

I firmly believe that this is not Herrera’s coaching failing to deliver results. His transparency and willingness to admit faults and errors is what makes him one of the better coaches in my lifetime. As is the case with who actually took a stand and said something, the responsibility falls on the players. It is their sheer talent that is on the field. It is they who make the decisions at the end of the day when it comes to each match played. It is they who have decided to publicly project just how unified they are. In this case, the media failed with its intention.

The big players of the tournament (Ochoa, Jonathan Dos Santos, Layun, Guardado, etc…) have all publicly addressed that tomorrow they have two choices: ”ganar o ganar” (“win or win”)!

They have set the standard outside of the field. Let’s hope they can do as much talking on the field as well.

A tie.

Despite all the possession and great tactical moves, the best El Tri could do after 90 minutes was a scoreless draw against Guatemala. This was definitely a disappointment to say the least compared to the 6-0 victory many fans and skeptics witnessed just a few days before.

There was confidence exuberating from the Mexican side and the attacking went strong. But although the attacking side was still strong, the finishing from the players just was not there.

The Aztecs had a total of 32 shots on goal compared to Guatemala’s 3 shots and yet, there was nothing from this side. The game was definitely one-sided, with Guatemala taking a defensive strategy pretty much the whole game (probably trying to avoid dealing with a situation that Cuba did) and Mexico frustratingly trying to put one behind the net.

Which of course, created even more skepticism around the Mexican National Soccer Team. They are already guaranteed a spot in the next round; with a win having them face Panama. A tie or draw would have them face Costa Rica.

The next couple of games, including the one they are going into Wednesday afternoon against Trinidad and Tobago, will not be as easy nor as enjoyable as their game against Cuba was. That was made very clear against Guatemala.

Mexico cannot afford to lack confidence from the minute the whistle blows. They cannot spend the first couple of minutes trying to get comfortable. They have to score soon and effortlessly. That is the only way they will remain confident and not get frustrated with scoreless draw after scoreless draw.

The opposing teams are smart to pay attention to Mexico’s tactics. Guatemala played their defensive strategy and it worked well for them. Trinidad and Tobago has been playing very strong offensively their last two games but it would not be ignorant to image them switch up their style of play when they take on El Tri.

Herrera should stop putting so much blame on the refs (although he is not wrong to go up to them after the games to criticize their lack of cards given as well as clear penalties or free kicks rewarded) and should focus on trying to make more changes during the half if things are not going as planned.

We have yet to see the Dos Santos brothers really have a large amount of playing time together, which in my personal opinion, is a real loss so far in the tournament. Between Jonathan’s clear dominance in the middle and Gio’s great speed up top, the brothers would have a great set of chemistry that could produce some great results.

As of now, there has been no real danger to Mexico’s defensive side but that should not be taken lightly by Herrera either. There should be consistency and Maza Rodriguez must command his post now that Marquez is out of the picture. Not much has been seen from Guardado during the Guatemala game and Hector Herrera’s mistakes in the middle are starting to become a problem. That will have to seriously addressed if the team continues on (and most likely, they will).

The reluctance to pay attention to the beginning of the game instead of looking for an ending result is Mexico’s greatest fault. This cannot continue. It could cost them the tournament if it does.

Mexico asserted their position as a CONCACAF powerhouse with a commanding 6-0 victory against Cuba. A hat trick from Oribe Peralta and individual goals from Gio Dos Santos, Vela and Guardado helped ensure El Triis going to be fine without an injured Chicharito playing his usual striking position up top. But there are important things to note for the upcoming match the Aztecs will be playing against Guatemala on Sunday:

1. Jonathan Dos Santos deserves and should continue getting more playing time.

Jose “Gallito” Vazquez’s sudden injury during warm-ups before the game was a blessing in disguise. By shifting the middle around to have Jonathan in the center position, the young Villarreal player was able to show us just how advanced his skill of play has become. Every touch was made calmly and his passes were most often secured and completed. He took a few attempts on goal and his relaxed demeanor in the middle reminded some of a young Cuahtehmoc Blanco. His speed was used wisely in open spaces and with Guatemala being a bit more competitive than Cuba, his potential should be taken into consideration and he should be given at least a full half of playing time, if not, the whole game.

2. Mexico’s defense needs to be prepared for counter attacks.

The game against Cuba proved to be one-sided. Not much came from the Cuban strikers but that will most likely be the only chance Mexico has to let their defense relax in this group stage. Guatemala has never been at quite the same level Mexico is but whenever the two face each other, Guatemala comes out with a strong counter attack, able to have their players show up at the right place in the right time. Mexico’s defense will have to practice guarding a man at all times, especially as the tournament progresses in anticipation for facing the United States. Their friendlies leading up to the tournament showed that at times they are reluctant to pay attention to men without the ball that has cost them a few goals, particularly when they faced Costa Rica.

3. Avoid injuries at all cost.

As the game against Honduras proved, the level of physical competition increases whenever Mexico faces certain teams. The same could be said with Guatemala. If Mexico wishes to avoid any injuries from some of their crucial players, they will take into consideration the style of play that comes out of certain teams. This is even more accurate if Mexico starts off strong and scores a few goals early in the first half the way they did against Cuba. El Tri cannot afford to lose any more of its players.

4. A strong middle will secure everything.

Of the few times that Cuba actually got to El Tri’s side was a result of a lack of control in the middle. This was seen in both friendlies against Costa Rica and Honduras when Herrera was experimenting with a 4-4-2 formation. As the competition continues and the level of play increasing with each stage leading up to the final, Mexico will have to ensure that their middle players are strong and secure. Hector Herrera has a few bad passes during the game and although Rios is unlikely to take “Gallito’s” spot permanently during the tournament, subs and starters alike must avoid any mistakes down the middle. Layun places well on the side and Jonathan has proved he’s a strong contender in the center of the field. The middle needs to keep that up during the next couple of games.

5. Early goals will ensure confidence and assert Mexico’s dominance.

Mexico’s early goals during the game of Cuba not only gave them high hopes, but also shut down many critics that were weary of Mexico’s power and how effective it would be during the tournament. Granted, a victory against Cuba was expected but the confidence that the first goals instilled in the Aztecs also allowed for a style of play that we had not seen since the World Cup. It was calm, relaxed, tactical and intelligent. Frankly, the level of playing will not be that challenging if Mexico allows themselves to continue scoring goals and continues to assert their dominance through their confidence. If they continue on this way, their (somewhat) expected match-up against the United States in the possible Gold Cup final will prove to be challenging but very doable after practicing their skills in these preliminary matches.

Mexico will begin its Gold Cup tournament against Cuba on Thursday, July 9th in Chicago and to say that the expectations for El Tri are running high would be an understatement.

There is some important things to note before this first game. For starters, the team that was taken to Copa America and disappointed is not the same team that will be playing here. Although many did not want to admit it, the Copa America team was very much a “B” team that consisted of predominantly domestic players. The style of play was different and the feel of the team was at times frustrating to watch.

The “A” team, however, is much better. That being said, what can be encountered during this tournament is what I call a Tale of Two Teams. There is the team that Mexico should be during this tournament. A team that has the likes and talent of Gio Dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Oribe Peralta up top and great players like Maza Rodriguez and Guillermo Ochoa securing the back. The team that showed itself during the World Cup, that scored effortlessly on Croatia and won respect by tying against the home team. A team that has precise passing and structure in the middle with the help of Hector Herrera and Jose “Gallito” Vasquez.

A team that shows strength, agility, talent and most of all, commitment to being the very best on the field regardless of the importance of the match. A team that comes from behind to tie Costa Rica 2-2 and scores two goals right off the bat in the second half of their June 27th friendly.

However, there is also the team that Mexico at times, unfortunately, can be. They can be the team that allows themselves to get scored two goals in the first half of a match they should be dominating. They are the team that ties against Honduras during a friendly while the US wins in an impressive 2-1 victory during their opening match of the Gold Cup, creating a powerful level of competition that could possibly awaiting the El Tri in the later stages of the tournament.

There is a lot of pressure with the “A” team. Some is misguided considering this is not the same team that played the Copa America and lost in the group stages of the tournament. Some of the weight falls on coach Miguel Herrera who has not won a match with the team in seven games.

But the key is the misguided pressure that the team faces. Almost as if the pressure comes from a place of unreasonable expectations where the bar is set in an area that the team never even existed in. And FIFA rankings should not be taken so seriously. The team has a good starting line-up for their opening match against Cuba.

With the loss of Chicharito following the injury against Honduras, Oribe Peralta will take his place up top and has provided just as many scoring opportunities as Chicharito has. Match that up with Vela, and there is sure to be a strong attacking front against a team that is not at the same particular level of the Aztecs. “Gallito” Vazquez and Hector Herrera will also provide a good offensive and defensive center midfield team to better practice their strategies when it comes to counter attacks from the opposing team. Their subs are just as good as well. There is a strong and focused team that has the capability of winning the Gold Cup. Herrera's comments are always transparent and never hyperbolic in any way.

This is the team that Mexico should be. Of course, everyone knows who they at times can be. Let’s see tonight.