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Mexico's World Cup experience in Brazil seems like a lifetime ago, and whatever equity built on the back of El Tri's performance last summer is long gone. As we get deeper into 2015 with a busy international calendar on the horizon, El Tri will soon turn its attention to two major regional competitions in the Gold Cup and Copa America -- with the Gold Cup considered the priority whereas Copa America will be more of a proving ground for a secondary El Tri team.
Head coach Miguel Herrera has mentioned time and again the need to broaden the player pool to afford Mexico the opportunity to call in two different squads for each tournament and give its young players experience on the international stage and/or first-team reps. As Mexico looks toward the future of the national team, Herrera and El Tri must find players who can carry the team forward in 2015 and beyond, players who can create their own history of success and vision for the future, just as aging-out veterans like Rafa Marquez did before them.
In order for El Tri to continue to grow, the development and maturation of the following five young players will be at the forefront heading into a busy summer of international tournaments. Here's a look at a handful of promising Mexican players whose development will be key to the team's success in the 2018 World Cup cycle.
Diego Reyes | Age: 22 | Pos.: Defender | Club: FC Porto (Portugal)
Yes, that Diego Reyes, the same one who went to the World Cup and has featured time and again under Herrera. Reyes is only 22 years old and for some time now has been handpicked to be the next Marquez. However, Reyes has yet to live up to those lofty standards with either club or country.
He has been unable to find consistent playing time with Porto while struggling to find his place in the team. Lack of repetition with his club puts pressure on Reyes every time he is called up to the national team, as every mistake he makes is looked upon as further proof that he can't be the next great center back. Beyond a lack of playing time at Porto, Reyes has yet to show that he can be physically strong enough to play center back at the highest level and has yet to prove he can be clean enough on the ball to take on the responsibility of playing out of the back, step into the midfield when necessary and hit accurate long balls to alleviate pressure (in essence, all the things Marquez did so well).
Reyes still has time on his side, but it is getting to the point to where he can't just be the perceived next great thing. As a result, 2015 will go a long way toward determining what role Reyes will play for El Tri, whether it's as a featured star or complementary background piece.
Javier Guemez | 23 | Midfielder | Club Tijuana
While it is somewhat surprising that Xolos de Tijuana currently sit atop LigaMX, it should not come as a surprise that Guemez is at the core of the team's rise. The 23-year-old has started all 11 games for Tijuana this season, playing 965 of a possible 990 minutes. Guemez is a box-to-box midfielder with enough creativity to be impactful in the attacking half while also possessing a strong enough work rate to help provide defensive balance protecting the back line. Although not particularly physically imposing, Guemez does show a willingness to be a ball-winner if called upon. Guemez could potentially become a nice alternative to Porto standout Hector Herrera, although his big opportunity may very well come in the Copa America, where a good performance could open a path to World Cup qualifier call-ups.
Jurgen Damm | 22 | Winger | C.F. Pachuca
The 22-year-old Damm has received his first full national team call-up for the upcoming games against Ecuador and Paraguay -- and deservedly so. His speed on the dribble, quickness in tight spaces and change of pace over distance have made him a game-changer for his club, Pachuca. Herrera's version of El Tri depends very heavily on production from wide positions, and Damm could become a viable option off the bench as Mexico looks for offense. With winger-type players like Javier Aquino struggling with injuries and playing time, Damm's evolution as a player at the international level may secure future call-ups and potentially a place with the senior squad going into the summer competitions.
Jesus Manuel "Tecatito" Corona | 22 | Winger | FC Twente (Eredivisie)
His rise to prominence with El Tri has been smooth and swift, so much so that his first touch of the ball during his debut last fall against the Netherlands in Amsterdam was a beautifully played ball over the top to Carlos Vela that led to a goal. Right then and there, Corona announced he belonged on the big stage. Corona is only 22 years old and continues his successful transition to Dutch soccer with FC Twente, where in the 2014-2015 season he has made 27 appearances in all competitions with nine goals and four assists. Corona is a more polished version of Damm, as he has shown the ability to both play out wide and also tuck inside to combine with teammates and/or initiate the attack himself from central positions. Corona's movement in the final third allows him freedom and flexibility to find spaces inside the box. Corona seems ready for prime time -- we'll soon see if Herrera feels the same way.
Alan Pulido | 24 | Forward | Levadiakos (Greece)
Pulido, who turned 24 just a few weeks ago, may fall outside the young/rising star ranks, and given what an up-and-down last year and a half he's had, it's hard to get a read on the striker. In January of 2014 he made quite a first impression in his national team debut, scoring a hat trick against South Korea. Pulido made El Tri's World Cup squad but didn't get any playing time, and was then at the center of a contract dispute with former club Tigres that resulted in him missing the entire 2014 Apertura season in LigaMX. Suffice it to say the lack of club playing time negatively impacted his national team status.
Pulido, now with Levadiakos, is back to doing what earned him a place with El Tri: scoring goals, as he did March 9 in his debut in the Greek league. Mexico would benefit from Pulido's strength and speed in the attack, but most of all from his goal-scoring ability. While Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Giovanni Dos Santos and Oribe Peralta may still be the first-choice selections up front, all three have struggled in terms of either playing time or finding their form, and the 31-year-old Peralta seems to be nursing injury after injury. Translation: There will be opportunities for Pulido to re-establish his value with Mexico as long as he can show he is back to his very best at the club level.
Honorable mentions
Rodolfo Pizarro | Age: 21 | Pos.: Defender/midfielder | Club: C.F. Pachuca
Pizarro made his debut with El Tri in 2014 and left a good impression playing on the right side of the back line as a wing back. Talented with the ball at his feet in the attack, the 21-year-old is always available as an outlet down the flank but inconsistent in terms of his defensive positioning and tactical discipline. Pizarro should have a role with El Tri this summer, most likely with Mexico's Copa America squad.
Erick "Cubo" Torres | Age: 22 | Pos.: Forward | Club: C.D. Guadalajara
Goal scorers are always in demand and Torres is a goal scorer. Currently on loan with Chivas Guadalajara, where he's tallied two goals in three appearances, Torres soon will join the Houston Dynamo. The forward is not a dribbler and does not take defenders on; rather, he is far more comfortable playing inside the box, getting on the end of crosses and loose balls as he did in an October friendly against Panama when he scored his first international goal. Herrera will need around eight strikers to account for both competitions this summer, and don't be surprised if Torres is one of them.