Hugo Sanchez 1-on-1

Today's edition of Esto contains a one-on-one interview with Hugo Sanchez, which you can find here.

Commenting on the victory he was able to achieve despite the doubts about his tactical awareness, Hugo said, "Really, I'm not worried about wasting time on things like that. I need to think about what's the best way to win games, and you know that winning those games gives you a winning mentality, and what you're trying to do is win everything."

He went on to say, "We are trying to give the National Team a style and an identity... We're trying to be compact in defense, and then go forward with verticality and agressiveness in order to do damage up front."

Referring to the European-based players such as Pardo and Osorio that the Mexican press has labeled "deserters", Hugo felt that the players had been unfairly targeted - "In the case of Pardo and Osorio, it was something decided upon ever since we talked with them in Germany. I knew they were going to bust their asses in the Gold Cup and that they wouldn't be at the Copa America, due to the demands of German football."

The absence of Carlos Salcido, however, was unexpected. "Salcido was a surprise, since he told us at the last minute. He'd already had 20 days of vacation, and so those personal reasons were, indeed, a surprise."

Finally, Hugo expressed his disappointment with the way in which the Mexican press, and some parts of the Mexican fan-base, are innately anti-Hugo: "I think we're going to achieve great things, despite the fact that our own people have become our worst enemy. It's disappointing... Every country loves their National Team to death, but with us it seems like, in Mexico, the honeymoon ended with the loss to Paraguay... The important thing, though, is to carry on with a winning mentality... and try to achieve things... despite the complexes and envy that's always existed in humanity."

So, pretty deep stuff from the pentapichichi. I'll be honest, I always thought that Hugo was all talk and no substance, especially as he was criticizing LaVolpe while Mexico was kicking ass in the 2005 Confederations' Cup. And I think LaVolpe definitely justified his methods with Mexico's showing at the World Cup. Yeah, they lost in the second round, but they played Argentina off the pitch for large parts of the game and didn't deserve to lose.

Hugo desperately needed to get a good result against the US in the Gold Cup final, and despite losing the team played well, which quieted a few critics. The Brazil game was probably a must-win for him, and the fact that he was able to concoct a winning formula speaks volumes about his ability to motivate his players. But he's certainly not in the clear yet, and his relationship with his Euro-based players will be of key importance in the future.