Mexico Squad Report: Fans welcome team with party in Fortaleza

The Mexico national team arrived in Fortaleza on Sunday in an upbeat mood ahead of Tuesday’s Group A match against host nation Brazil, and was greeted by hundreds of fans partying outside the team hotel.

Traveling Mexico fans blocked the street in front of the hotel and serenaded the players, who came onto their balconies and conducted as fans chanted their names and classic Mexicans folk songs like “Cielito Lindo.” 

The players then moved downstairs to be closer to the fans, swinging their shirts around their heads and clearly enjoying the experience of engaging with the Mexican contingent in Brazil.

The atmosphere was celebratory ahead of a match in which El Tri is the clear underdog, but the squad has an element of confidence thanks to the London 2012 Olympic final win over Brazil still fairly fresh in their minds.

Manager Miguel Herrera and players like Guillermo Ochoa, Miguel Layun and Oribe Peralta all used social networks to thank fans for their support.

Mexico had stayed in Natal following last Friday’s 1-0 win over Cameroon, rather than traveling back to the team’s headquarters just outside of Sao Paulo in Santos. On Monday the team will train inside Arena Castelao.

Fixtures/Results

Group A – June 13 – Mexico 1-0 Cameroon

Group A – June 17 – Mexico vs. Brazil

Group A – June 23 – Mexico vs. Croatia

Squad News/Rumours/Injury Report

There have been no injury scares in the camp and reports suggest that Herrera will field the same starting XI against Brazil as he did against Cameroon.

The starting lineup against Brazil is likely to be: Guillermo Ochoa, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafa Marquez, Hector Moreno, Paul Aguilar, Miguel Layun, Jose Juan Vazquez, Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado, Giovani Dos Santos and Oribe Peralta.

Team Leaders

Goals: Oribe Peralta – 1.

Clean Sheets: Guillermo Ochoa – 1.

3 Quick Notes

1. Brazilian starter Hulk pulled up with a muscle injury in his left leg on Sunday and is a doubt for his team’s second Group A game.

2. The Mexican and Brazilian football federation are engaging in a friendly bet ahead of Tuesday’s match over which will have more followers on Twitter by the time the game comes around. Mexico is currently in the lead. The loser will donate the money raised from the sale of a signed team shirt to the charity of the winner’s choice.

3. The goals continue to flow in Brazil, with Mexico’s first half against Cameroon the only 45 minutes in the first 11 matches of the World Cup that hasn’t produced a goal. The irony is that Giovani Dos Santos had the ball in the net twice in that first half, with the officials (incorrectly) ruling both out for offside.