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It’s about to get serious for the Mexico national team. Going into the qualifying match against Honduras on Thursday, there is a strong feeling that this is where Juan Carlos Osorio’s men must prove what they are made of.
Osorio’s tenure in front of El Tri has been one full of skepticism, but the Colombian manager has brought a sense of calamity to World Cup Qualifying. Currently, Mexico sit at the very top of the CONCACAF Hexagonal and so far boast of an unbeaten record at home under Osorio.
In theory, El Tri are facing the least stubborn part of the Hex, but there is nothing straightforward about their match against Honduras. Games at the Estadio Azteca are where Mexico managers are judged more intensely, and to put it simply, Juan Carlos Osorio can’t afford to drop points against Honduras at home.
For the Catrachos, the past 12 months have been tumultuous. The team currently sits penultimate in the Hex, and they are more desperate than ever to get something from this game. They will be boosted in knowing they defeated Mexico at the Estadio Azteca four years ago in World Cup qualifying, and they will be hoping for a repeat this time around.
The period from Thursday all the way to the end of the Confederations Cup will say a lot about the potential of this Mexico national team. They can head towards their game against Honduras with a point to prove to their fans and with the chance of moving on step closer to what will be the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Date: Thursday, June 8
Time: 7:00 PM Pacific, 9:00 PM Central, 10:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Television: Univision Deportes (US-Spanish), UniMas (US-Spanish), Fox Sports 1 (US-English), TDN (Mexico), Azteca 7 (Mexico), UnivisionTDN (Mexico)
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription), Fox Soccer 2GO, Fox Sports GO, Univision NOW