By Rafael

Mexico set start to a busy international calendar year on Saturday as they face Ecuador at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Here are five questions to ask ahead of Mexico’s first friendly of 2015.

1) Will Miguel Herrera use a 4-4-2 or 5-3-2?

Miguel Herrera surprised many when he lined up with a 4-4-2 against the Netherlands in their much publicized Post-No Era Penal clash back in November. The Dutch looked perplexed with the quick change of style, and El Tri managed to put up a brilliant performance at the Amsterdam Arena.

But Miguel Herrera has made his name playing with his trademark 5-3-2 (3-5-1), and for the most part, players like Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado tend to flourish more in this formation. The extra defensive support the wing-backs bring helps alleviate some of the defensive pressure from Guardado and Herrera. Moreover, it enables them do what they do best, work well under small spaces in the midfield.

Nevertheless, it is always good for a manager to have an alternative formation in their tactical reservoir.

2) Who will win out at the forward positions?

One of the characteristics behind this new generation of players in the Mexico national team is that there is an abundance of talented forwards. Lack of playing time at their clubs, however, represents the big problem for Miguel Herrera. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Raul Jimenez have both faced large portions of their season on the bench, and Giovani Dos Santos is the only forward in Europe with decent minutes under his belt. On the other hand, Pumas UNAM’s Eduardo Herrera got his first call-up to the national team, but one assumes, he will likely not feature from the start. Furthermore, Carlos Vela and Oribe Peralta were left out due to injury. It will be interesting to see gets the nod from Miguel Herrera on Saturday.

3) Where will Diego Reyes play?

Another player hampered by lack of playing time is FC Porto’s Diego Reyes. Despite his shortage of minutes with the Portuguese side, Reyes is one of Miguel Herrera’s preferred players and could play a crucial role in Herrera’s defensive plans.

Francisco “Maza” Rodriguez and Rafael Marquez are both out of the squad for the next two friendlies, and there is good reason to believe Reyes will play a part of Mexico’s lineup. Reyes’ ability to play anywhere in a three man back-line makes it likely that Herrera has assumed a role for the young Mexican defender. While Reyes can play as a sweeper (libero) or a regular center-back, he also hasn’t been shy of playing as a defensive midfielder. In any case, Reyes could prove indispensable going forward.

4) Where will Jürgen Damm fit in?

Pachuca’s Jürgen Damm will look to grab his first chance at the national team. The German Mexican player became a focal point for many El Tri fans after Pachuca rejected an offer from Chelsea for the young winger. Still, there seems to be doubt about where Jürgen Damm will fit in.

In the past two games, Mexico have used a similar player, Jesus “Tecatito” Corona, in his natural winger position and as a central midfielder. Corona performed well, but Damm is different because he isn’t particularly well on the defensive end. As Damm’s Pachuca teammate showed, Rodolfo Pizarro, Miguel Herrera won’t make extra accommodations.

5) How will Ecuador approach this friendly?

It isn’t entirely clear what we can expect from Ecuador. New Ecuador manager, Gustavo Quinteros, will be in charge of the national team for the first time, and coaching staff and players will be introducing each other in Los Angeles.

Quinteros won two national titles with Club Emelec, but it may be too early for Quinteros to impose any real style and make a statement with the national team. However, Ecuador are still a strong side, with a bulk of their players featuring in the Liga MX, and Mexico should be cautious of players like Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia. Not to mention, both teams will play again in the 2015 Copa America.