MEXICO
Edson Álvarez comments after the defeat against USMNT: “there is no patience”
The Mexico midfielder spoke after his side’s humiliating 3-0 loss to a far superior USMNT.
Current Ajax midfielder, Edson Álvarez, at last opened up on the shocking 3-0 defeat to the United States in the semi-final of the Concacaf Nations League. His words were the first declarations made by the player since the result which has sent shockwaves through the country, one which fully asserts the dominance and superiority of the US over their neighbours.
The 25-year-old midfielder, in the mixed zone ahead of the 3rd place playoff on 18 June, tried to explain what happened in the game and mentioned more profound and long-term topics such as generational changes, fan action and the media noise in the aftermath of the heavy defeat. He was not the first player to speak about the loss, with striker Santiago Giménez saying that the game against the US was “a reality check” and that Mexico “weren’t up to the task of the United States who tried to win from the first minute - we never had that intention.”
‘We shouldn’t be scared to use young players’
“It’s not the first time that there is so much media noise, it’s always happened. I’ve been through two World Cups and it has been constant. A lot of the time a generational change was demanded both from the media and fans, well it’s happening, but there is no patience on their side, no comprehension”, said Edson, who did not hold back.
Álvarez, who has been linked with a move to German club Borussia Dortmund to replace Jude Bellingham, also commented on the emerging young talent within the youth teams of the Mexican setup, and asked for those promising players, due to different internal interests, not to be overlooked and instead given the support they need to make the step up to the first team.
“The under-23 team are doing things well. Yesterday they beat France, so it’s important to keep things going in the same way for those players, we shouldn’t be scared to use them; sometimes we think that being 17 makes you a kid, when at the same time we watch other 17-year-olds tearing things up. It’s a part of growing up, believing in them, and the kids need support when they are starting out; they can make mistakes but they’ll keep learning”, he said.
Álvarez ‘angry’ about the USMNT defeat
“I finished the game quite angry, sad”, said Edson, when asked about his performance and attitude during the game, “obviously for what we did, [the loss] doesn’t happen because they’re not proud or because they don’t love the shirt. It’s a new process, we are changing players, we have new technical staff, we are adapting. Obviously [losing] isn’t the best way to do it, it’s not what we dreamed of, but we have to accept the reality we are living through.”
To sum up, Álvarez showed himself to be aware of the collective effort and in the knowledge that if there are indeed people to blame, the players are the ones responsible, and that they need to react as quickly as possible. “It’s part of life, when you make a mistake, you analyse it and see what you could have done better. So it’s over, Panama is the next game and then it’s the Gold Cup. I don’t know if we should see it as ‘revenge’, it’s just a revenge against ourselves.”
Despite Edson’s positive words, talk of a potential boycott from the players is rife within the media. Reports that two senior members of the squad are ready to walk out of the training camp led by manager Diego Cocca have led to rumours regarding the levels of morale and faith inside the squad, with players said to be unhappy with the organisation of the trip to Los Angeles for the Concacaf Nations League.
