Mexico aims for new heights

Mexico’s national soccer team, ranked 13th in the world, is no longer a pushover and fortified by young talent some observers believe the team can medal in the Olympics next year.

Ricardo LaVolpe may have started El Tri’s current upswing as Mexico’s coach in the last World Cup, but Hugo Sanchez is out to finish it.

Ever since Sanchez took over as coach nearly a year ago, his presence has raised the already high expectations of Mexican fans who already have an eye toward the next World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Sanchez is arguably the greatest soccer player to come out of Mexico -- he led the Spanish league in goals five times while playing for Real Madrid in the 1980s and ‘90s.

“There’s a feeling that we can achieve something historic,” Sanchez said.

“And if we haven’t convinced everybody yet, I think we are on the right path to do so.”

Mexico plays its last scheduled game of the year tonight against Guatemala in an exhibition at the Coliseum at 8 p.m.

Everywhere Mexico’s team goes its players seem to be treated like rock stars. Last month more than 20,000 filled a stadium in Puebla to see the team practice. On Monday, close to 1,000 fans turned out at the Bell Gardens Sports Center complex to see the players work out -- afterward the team needed a police escort as fans followed its bus onto the streets.

Sanchez was introduced as coach last November and he’s had an up-and-down year, compiling a record of 13-7-2.

“There’s been tension, pressure and, of course, a lot of responsibility. But it has become easier because the euphoria that’s needed to lead a national team is there,” he said.

Things were particularly tough in the beginning for Sanchez.

His first game was a 2-0 loss to the U.S. national team. His first game as Mexico’s coach in Azteca Stadium was a 1-0 loss to Panama -- El Tri had lost only one other time there in the previous 26 years.

That was followed by a disappointing Gold Cup tournament, in which Mexico lost, 2-1, to the U.S. in the final. After the game, fans and media were calling for the country’s soccer officials to fire Sanchez heading into the Copa America tournament.

Just a week later, though, memories of the loss were erased when Mexico opened Copa America with a 2-0 victory against Brazil, the tournament’s eventual champion.

“It showed that when you lose a game you’re not the worst, and when you win a game you’re not the best,” Sanchez said. “We need to look at everything with time. Everything we are planning we are planning toward 2010.”

But for the moment, Mexico’s focus is on next year’s Olympic qualifying -- and Sanchez has called up many young players in recent games to get them prepared for that tournament.

Without a doubt, one reason this generation of El Tri inspires so much hope for their fans is their youth. Mexico captured its first world championship at any level in soccer two years ago at the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Peru.

Among the young Mexican stars expected to play tonight are winger Andres Guardado, 21, who played on Mexico’s 2006 World Cup team and was transferred this year, for a $10-million fee, to Deportivo La Coruna in Spain’s La Liga.

Another Mexican phenom is 18-year-old striker Giovani Dos Santos, who stars for Barcelona.

Sanchez said that Dos Santos should only get better as he plays alongside Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi.

“Playing in the best league in the world, which is the Spanish one, and on one of the best teams is helping him incredibly,” Sanchez said. “[In Spain] is where he will really gain a lot of maturity and a lot of experience.”

Guardado and Dos Santos give Mexico a strong attack, defender Carlos Salcido has won plaudits for his play, as has goalkeeper Francisco Guillermo Ochoa, who is 22.

Guatemala Coach Hernan Dario Gomez doesn’t buy the notion that the roster Mexico has assembled for tonight’s game is some sort of B-team.

“That’s a fairy tale they are trying to sell,” Gomez said. “They want to distract people by telling them this is the Under-23 team. Guardado, Salcido, Gio and the other guys . . . those are their best players.”

Indeed, a Mexican official said Monday that 90% of the players on Mexico’s squad are expected to make the roster for South Africa.

Mexico’s record on U.S. soil this year is 5-5-1. The team has lost twice to the U.S., and once to Brazil, Colombia and Honduras.

However, with some important wins this year, Sanchez feels that Mexico has proven that it can play with anybody.

jaime.cardenas@latimes.com