DALLAS, Texas – After a frustrating 0-0 draw with Trinidad and Tobago to open the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, it is safe to say that the Mexican attack has found its goalscoring stride after producing a 3-0 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday night.
Despite the absences of key players like Hirving Lozano due to injury, El Tricolor’s offensive machine is still humming along nicely with FW Rogelio Funes Mori leading the way.
Born in Argentina, Funes Mori recently became eligible to play for Mexico and scored his first goals in official Concacaf competition with a brace against the Chapines, tying him with Guillermo Franco for most Gold Cup goals scored for Mexico by a player not born in Mexico (2).
For veteran Mexico players like MF Jonathan dos Santos, the transition to incorporating Funes Mori into the team’s attack has felt seamless.
“I’m so happy for Rogelio. He came in with so many expectations about being in the national team and he is meeting those expectations,” said Dos Santos in an exclusive postgame interview with Concacaf.com
“We are really happy with him both as a person and as a footballer. He doesn’t even seem like a new player; more like he has been playing with us for a long time. He is a natural goalscorer with so much quality. He can play in the area, outside the area and in the end, we know that if he’s good, the team will be good. He’s a player for the present and for the future,” added Dos Santos.
Funes Mori was just as dangerous in the opening match against Trinidad and Tobago, only to be denied by an otherworldly performance from Soca Warriors GK Marvin Phillip, who had seven saves.
Still, in Mexico’s two matches thus far in the Gold Cup, there is a notable chemistry that is forming between Funes Mori and other attacking pieces, like Jesus Corona, Orbelin Pineda, Hector Herrera and others.
“I think it comes down to when you have quality players, they connect quickly. The truth is that we have players who can connect easily with Rogelio. He is a player who always wants the ball. He’s always going to be there, so it’s important to have a player of those characteristics and to have around him players of great quality that can feed him balls at any moment,” concluded Dos Santos.
