Mexico soccer chief to defend Eriksson selection

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Justino Compean will be in town Monday. As a reminder to those who have not the slightest idea who he is, Compean is the president of Mexico’s soccer federation.

He will be speaking at the Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles at 10 a.m. as part of the annual Honda Soccer Symposium, and his topic is sure to draw a few chuckles.

According to the advance publicity, Compean will tackle the question of: ‘Why we chose Sven-Goran Eriksson as the Mexican national team coach and where we expect him to lead us.’

It’s a pity the symposium is being held before, rather than after, the next round of World Cup qualifying. If it were after, Compean’s comments might be somewhat different, perhaps even along the lines of: ‘Why we fired Sven-Goran Eriksson as the Mexican national team coach and where do we go from here?’

Mexico faces a crucial game on the road in Honduras on Nov. 19. It cannot afford to lose the match because if it does, and if Jamaica beats Canada by a bucket full of goals that same day in Kingston, Mexico will be eliminated and will not make it to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

One local player in Mexico’s corner is Chivas USA and Jamaica national team defender Shavar Thomas. The way Thomas sees it, Jamaica is a cinch to defeat Canada, and if Mexico can upset Honduras in San Pedro Sula, Jamaica, would leapfrog the Central American team and grab a spot in next year’s six-team final qualifying round.

‘For sure, I know we are going to win that game [against Canada],’ Thomas said. ‘But destiny is not in our own hands. We just have to do what we’re supposed to do and hopefully Mexico goes down to Honduras and wins.’

Since a tie between Honduras and Mexico would send both teams through to the ‘hexagonal,’ look for that result to come up, but look also for the pressure to mount on Eriksson, who after winning three in a row has lost at Jamaica and tied at Canada.

Another tie would not sit well with Mexico’s fans, and Compean would be scrambling to explain why Eriksson was chosen.

-- Grahame L. Jones