After Mexico’s 10-0 victory over Aruba that clinched Mexico’s spot in the second round of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, Coach Diego Ramirez talked to us about the victory and Mexico’s qualification to the next round.
Reporter: Well the first goal has been done and you’re through to the next round
Diego Ramirez: Yes fortunately this group of players showed step by step a lot of conviction on their individual and collective capabilities to make the first step and qualify to the next round where we will try to get our ticket to the World Cup.
Reporter: So now you’ve seen all the players, will you have a base starting lineup for the next games?
DR: Like I’ve been telling you the were very continuous games with little time in between so the first thing I will do is try to get them all back. Between today, tomorrow and maybe a third day until all the players are physically alright because after so much action, a lot of things come out. After that I will make the decision of who to play these next games. Before they were selected, everybody knew they will have a primal role in the team and that how it went in the first round so whoever gets chose will be able to do things right.
Reporter: Are you calm because of the accuracy the team showed in scoring?
DR. More than the accuracy I’m calm because of the seriousness they showed in the game. Today I want to point out the personality my players showed in the match in circumstances that weren’t easy because we were fighting a rival that wasn’t on the pitch in goals and knowing that they rival team was scoring a lot of goals could have destabilized them and it didn’t. They were always concentrated on their mission.
Reporter: Was it a good decision not to tell your players how many goals Jamaica was scoring?
DR: We tried but it was almost impossible for them to not know even if you didn’t tell them. What you have to do is prepare them and tell them that what is important is what you do in your game.
Reporter: Now the level of play is going to increase in the next round so we will be able to see what this team is capable of ?
DR: Yeah without a doubt it will increase. They will be closer games. With only 2 games to play for the ticket, none of the team will give you anything and it will be close.
FMF State of Mind: Now you will play Panama and El Salvador, two very different teams, one is a more physical team and very technical and one maybe more technical but which Mexico matches better physically, how do you plan for these next two games with so little time and so many differences between them?
DR: As you well said, they are two teams with very special circumstances and characteristics. I think about little time, if you compare them to the games in the first round, now I do have time. I have 5 days to prepare the first game and it’s more than enough time for me to prepare them and we will adapt. I think that starting today, we can begin to start to think about our next rivals. I didn’t have time to be able to think before having our pass to the next round. Today the we already have it. I’m starting to analyze the rivals beginning now.
FMF State of Mind: If Mexico gets it’s ticket to the World Cup, are we going to see players that didn’t come to this tournament but are the age, guys like Marcel Ruiz from Queretaro or Daniel Lajud from Monterrey, who may not be part of the “proceso” but have been showing things to maybe get an opportunity for the U20?
DR: We definitely have a base team that has been working all year. Hopefully we get that ticket and once we get it, the internal competition continues and it’s open to whoever gives the age to be able to play in this World Cup
Reporter: Was it really complicated the physical activity in this 5 games during so little time?
DR: Yes definitely. It’s a new format that we are not used to and we required a different way to work. You can’t only choose 11 and that it because it’s not enough. Not all players get to recuperate because some can but other can’t. So being able to adapt fast to this new format was key.