THE MEXICO TOP 25!

If you aren’t aware of my current project, I will be collaborating with other El Tri experts every month and rank who we deem to be the best Mexican players at the moment. It isn’t a “best of the month” list, but recent performances will of course influence our decisions. It should be fun.

Remember, these rankings are subjective. My main goal is to inspire discussion and conversations about our top players. Let us know any and all thoughts.

Collaborators from this month include: Tom Marshall, Joely Aceves, Tom Harrison and yours truly.

Here are the rankings for the current top 25 Mexican players:

1. Carlos Vela

Club: Real Sociedad

Age: 28

Position: Striker

“At his best, he is one of the top strikers in Spain. A crucial upcoming season for the player who is likely set for a departure from Real Sociedad by next summer at the latest.” -Cesar

2. Javier Hernandez

Club: West Ham

Age: 29

Position: Striker

“Chicharito is back in England and fans of El Tri and West Ham alike are excited by his move. 15 goal season before the World Cup please!” -Tom H

3. Jonathan dos Santos

Club: LA Galaxy

Age: 27

Position: Midfielder

“Love or hate his move, Jona is will continue to be a key player for the Mexican national team in the near future.” -Cesar

4. Hector Moreno

Club: Roma

Age: 29

Position: Defender

“A new challenge awaits in Rome. Serie A is a great league to develop tactical knowledge and the fact that the great Monchi wanted to bring in Moreno is very promising.” -Tom H

5. Andres Guardado

Club: Real Betis

Age: 30

Position: Midfielder

“It’s going to be fascinating to watch Guardado in La Liga. Will he play as an attacking midfielder? A defensive midfielder?” -Cesar

6. Jesus Manuel Corona

Club: Porto

Age: 24

Position: Midfielder/Striker

“Get the feeling this is a pivotal season for Tecatito’s career. A strong season and good World Cup will likely lead to a big move. Time to make it happen.” -Tom H

7. Marco Fabian

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Age: 28

Position: Midfielder

“If last season was about Fabian proving that he can keep up in the Bundesliga, this season’s goal should be to become one of the best in the league. I believe he has the talents for it.” -Cesar

8. Raul Jimenez

Club: Benfica

Age: 26

Position: Striker

“Rumours of a big money move have died down. Time for Raúl to win a place in the first team for Benfica, he hasn’t been a regular start since moving to Europe.” -Tom H

9. Diego Reyes

Club: Porto

Age: 24

Position: Defender

“Will Reyes end up playing for Porto this season? After an exceptional year with Espanyol, it will be disappointing to not see the defender in Spain.” -Cesar

10. Hector Herrera

Club: Porto

Age: 27

Position: Midfielder

“Is Herrera a deep-lying playmaker or an attacking-midfielder? Is Herrera a key player for Porto or just a bench option? I’m not sure anymore…” -Tom H

11. Guillermo Ochoa

Club: Standard Liege

Age: 32

Position: Goalkeeper

“Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes and Ochoa making a questionable European transfer. Let’s hope this one doesn’t hurt his career.” -Cesar

12. Hirving Lozano

Club: PSV Eindhoven

Age: 22

Position: Midfielder/Winger

“Losing to Croatioan side Osijek in the Europa League qualifiers was an embarrassment for PSV. A good league season is a must for Lozano and his new team.” -Tom H

13. Orbelin Pineda

Club: Chivas

Age: 21

Position: Midfielder

“Despite a poor run during the Gold Cup, Pineda continues to be on the shortlist of Mexican players who can make the leap to Europe.” -Cesar

14. Miguel Layun

Club: Porto

Age: 29

Position: Defender

“Like the rest of the crop of Mexicans in Portugal, Layun appears set for another season battling over a first-team spot, with a move away currently looking unlikely.” -Tom H

15. Carlos Salcedo

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Age: 23

Position: Defender

“Eintracht Frankfurt will now be plenty of fun to watch with Fabian and Salcedo in the roster. Here’s to hoping that both can hold onto much-needed regular starting roles.” -Cesar

16. Rodolfo Pizarro

Club: Chivas

Age: 23

Position: Midfielder

“Pizarro’s golazo against Cruz Azul reminded us all of his superb talent, but this came after Rodo was dispossessed 5 times. Perhaps consistency is an issue.” -Tom H

17. Javier Aquino

Club: Tigres

Age: 27

Position: Midfielder/Winger

“Agile and risk-taking, Aquino is an atypical type of Mexican player that has made significant improvements since returning from Europe. Could another good season see him make a return?” -Cesar

18. Giovani dos Santos

Club: LA Galaxy

Age: 28

Position: Striker

“Gio and LA Galaxy are having a poor season in MLS, but with his brother joining the club, perhaps they’ll see an upturn in fortunes.” -Tom H

19. Nestor Araujo

Club: Santos Laguna

Age: 25

Position: Defender

“Once a former underrated talent, Araujo is now regularly in the running for a starting role for El Tri.” -Cesar

20. Erick Gutierrez

Club: Pachuca

Age: 22

Position: Midfielder

“Pachuca have failed to score in 8 of their last 10 Liga MX matches. Guty hasn’t yet managed to re-create his fantastic combinations with the departed Hirving Lozano and Rodolfo Pizarro. Perhaps he’ll be able to do this when Keisuke Honda is ready to play.” -Tom H

21. Cesar Montes

Club: Monterrey

Age: 20

Position: Defender

“Montes must have a good Apertura tournament. Following a dismal debut in the Gold Cup, the promising youngster needs to redeem himself with Monterrey.” -Cesar

22. Oribe Peralta

Club: America

Age: 33

Position: Striker

“Will Piojo persist with the so far unsuccessful Peralta-Romero partnership? Unlikely. Peralta should get the nod ahead of Silvio, but Piojo may be turned by Romero’s remarkable efficiency in front of goal.” -Tom H

23. Jesus Dueñas

Club: Tigres

Age: 28

Position: Midfielder

“Versatile and hard-working. Dueñas is the exact type of utilitarian player that an ever-tinkering Juan Carlos Osorio loves.” -Cesar

24. Alfredo Talavera

Club: Toluca

Age: 34

Position: Goalkeeper

“Out for 6 months, it’s going to be quite a task for Talavera to work his way back into form and into the World Cup squad.” -Tom H

25. Edson Alvarez

Club: America

Age: 19

Position: Defender/Midfielder

“Last but not least is one of the few Mexican players with impressive performances in the Gold Cup. Like Dueñas, Osorio is probably a fan of his versatility in the defense and midfield.” -Cesar

Honorable mentions: Luis Reyes, Rafael Marquez, Paul Aguilar, Elias Hernandez, Jurgen Damm.

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