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MEXICO CITY — Alexis Vega said the quiet part out loud on Tuesday morning.
"Who wouldn't want to see Memo Ochoa?" he said during Mexico's media availability at el Centro de Alto Rendimiento. "He's a legend. But that's a decision that El Vasco will have to make tomorrow."
Such is the question facing manager Javier Aguirre 24 hours ahead of the group stage finale against Czechia. Does he give Ochoa the nod, a symbolic sendoff for the 40-year-old national icon playing in his sixth World Cup? Or does he stick with the bulk of the lineup that he's rolled with for the first two games, giving them one more chance to finally gel before the knockout rounds?
Nevermind the fact that Czechia's playing to avoid elimination. Nevermind the fact that Mexico's chasing history; if El Tri beats Nároďák, they'll finish off a sweep of Group A and accumulate nine points for the first time in the country's 18 World Cup appearances.
Aguirre fielded several questions from the press at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday afternoon that boiled down to his plans for the lineup — and for Ochoa — in one way or another. El Vasco kept his cards close to his chest, but did shed light on a couple other matters: he'll "protect" Brian Gutiérrez to keep the talented midfielder from potentially picking up a second yellow card and risking a suspension for the Round of 32, and César Montes will be back on the pitch after missing the South Korea match due to a careless red card in stoppage time in the opener against South Africa.
Everyone else, though?
"You'll know tomorrow," Aguirre said. "Not even the players know."
While the players don't know what the starting XI will look like, they do know what's at stake on Wednesday. Even if it's a dead-rubber on their side.
"We know that it is obviously a very important game where if you win it, you would make history," Vega said. "Because it's been a long time since we've been able to win all three matches, but we're calm. We know that it's going to be a very important match, a game where we have to apply what we've trained.
"Nothing's going to come easily. ... We have to be very focused, take care of the details. We want to make history, so we have to start tomorrow."
Despite the six points, Mexico hasn't played particularly well in their first two World Cup games. Chalk it up to nerves due to the home crowd's lofty expectations, Aguirre's conservative playstyle or just true mediocrity, but they have yet to see a team that has been able to make them pay for their lapses on the pitch this tournament.
The defense, however, has held steady. Mexico is one of just four teams remaining that have yet to allow a goal in the World Cup. In their 10 international games played in 2026 so far, El Tri has only allowed two goals.
"We know it hasn't been easy at all," Orbelín Pineda said. "... The truth is that that's a very, very good job on defense that we've done every day. This is a team effort, we know it well. And when there are chances to score goals, we're going to do it and we're going to go for it all.
"... In a World Cup, you can't give chances away, so we know very well that no team will be easy. We know that's the best way to take this great step and get those nine points that we're excited to get."
Pineda added that he knows the team hasn't played its best football but at this point the goal is just to win games, no matter how ugly it might look. After all, it's not unusual for a team to play well and still lose.
When Aguirre first re-took the job in the summer of 2024, he told himself he would never give anything away. Each of the 26 players on the roster were picked solely on their merits. Whether or not he's ever seemed harsh or unjust in his decisions, he's left that up to the debate tables.
"I'm just a football coach," he said. "I don't try to win the adoration of (the press) or the fans over things like playing well and winning games. That's the most praise I can hope for. That my guys can go back into the locker room satisfied with what they did in a match."
Just don't ask him about Memo Ochoa.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Mexico's lineup vs. Czechia? Javier Aguirre won't say
Continue reading...
"Who wouldn't want to see Memo Ochoa?" he said during Mexico's media availability at el Centro de Alto Rendimiento. "He's a legend. But that's a decision that El Vasco will have to make tomorrow."
Such is the question facing manager Javier Aguirre 24 hours ahead of the group stage finale against Czechia. Does he give Ochoa the nod, a symbolic sendoff for the 40-year-old national icon playing in his sixth World Cup? Or does he stick with the bulk of the lineup that he's rolled with for the first two games, giving them one more chance to finally gel before the knockout rounds?
Nevermind the fact that Czechia's playing to avoid elimination. Nevermind the fact that Mexico's chasing history; if El Tri beats Nároďák, they'll finish off a sweep of Group A and accumulate nine points for the first time in the country's 18 World Cup appearances.
Aguirre fielded several questions from the press at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday afternoon that boiled down to his plans for the lineup — and for Ochoa — in one way or another. El Vasco kept his cards close to his chest, but did shed light on a couple other matters: he'll "protect" Brian Gutiérrez to keep the talented midfielder from potentially picking up a second yellow card and risking a suspension for the Round of 32, and César Montes will be back on the pitch after missing the South Korea match due to a careless red card in stoppage time in the opener against South Africa.
Everyone else, though?
"You'll know tomorrow," Aguirre said. "Not even the players know."
While the players don't know what the starting XI will look like, they do know what's at stake on Wednesday. Even if it's a dead-rubber on their side.
"We know that it is obviously a very important game where if you win it, you would make history," Vega said. "Because it's been a long time since we've been able to win all three matches, but we're calm. We know that it's going to be a very important match, a game where we have to apply what we've trained.
"Nothing's going to come easily. ... We have to be very focused, take care of the details. We want to make history, so we have to start tomorrow."
Despite the six points, Mexico hasn't played particularly well in their first two World Cup games. Chalk it up to nerves due to the home crowd's lofty expectations, Aguirre's conservative playstyle or just true mediocrity, but they have yet to see a team that has been able to make them pay for their lapses on the pitch this tournament.
The defense, however, has held steady. Mexico is one of just four teams remaining that have yet to allow a goal in the World Cup. In their 10 international games played in 2026 so far, El Tri has only allowed two goals.
"We know it hasn't been easy at all," Orbelín Pineda said. "... The truth is that that's a very, very good job on defense that we've done every day. This is a team effort, we know it well. And when there are chances to score goals, we're going to do it and we're going to go for it all.
"... In a World Cup, you can't give chances away, so we know very well that no team will be easy. We know that's the best way to take this great step and get those nine points that we're excited to get."
Pineda added that he knows the team hasn't played its best football but at this point the goal is just to win games, no matter how ugly it might look. After all, it's not unusual for a team to play well and still lose.
When Aguirre first re-took the job in the summer of 2024, he told himself he would never give anything away. Each of the 26 players on the roster were picked solely on their merits. Whether or not he's ever seemed harsh or unjust in his decisions, he's left that up to the debate tables.
"I'm just a football coach," he said. "I don't try to win the adoration of (the press) or the fans over things like playing well and winning games. That's the most praise I can hope for. That my guys can go back into the locker room satisfied with what they did in a match."
Just don't ask him about Memo Ochoa.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Mexico's lineup vs. Czechia? Javier Aguirre won't say
Continue reading...
