The situation seems ideal for rotating the lineup: the Mexican national team has secured its spot in the next round and is already the Group A winner. However, head coach Javier Aguirre has made it very clear that the match against the Czech Republic will not be a mere formality, ruling out the idea of giving Guillermo Ochoa playing time as a tribute for competing in his sixth World Cup.
“El Vasco” was unequivocal with the press, noting that since his return to the Mexican national team’s bench, he has enforced a rule against handing out playing time as a favor. For the coach, the 26 players on the roster are there based solely on merit, and only those performing at their peak will see action on the field.
In fact, Aguirre seemed somewhat worn down by the media’s constant focus on the 40-year-old goalkeeper, asking that the questions on the matter stop. The coach admitted that even Ochoa himself feels overwhelmed by the issue, and chose instead to highlight the healthy competition and camaraderie that exists among the goalkeepers—including Carlos Acevedo and Raúl “Tala” Rangel—assuring that he sees his entire squad as strong and united “as one.”
The coach also took advantage of the press conference to clarify the scare involving Ochoa during the last practice, where he slipped on the slippery turf. Although the coaching staff initially feared a possible knee injury, the incident turned out to be a minor hip strain, allowing the veteran to finish the training session as usual.
As for the final tactical adjustments against the Czech team, the only certainty confirmed by Aguirre is that Brian Gutiérrez will not see any playing time. The coach will rest the midfielder because he is carrying a yellow card, and one more caution would result in a one-game suspension during the knockout stage. Beyond this precautionary rotation, the rest of the starting lineup remains a mystery even to the players themselves, as the coaching staff has been shuffling positions and players during the recent practice sessions.
