Despite the fact that Mexico has had a brilliant start to the World Cup, numerous questions remain ahead of El Tri's next match against South Korea. Before Saturday's game kicks off, let's dive into the three most prominent talking points for the national team.
1. What will be the extent of player rotations?
Whether fans like them or not, the rotations will be happening for Mexico. With manager Juan Carlos Osorio at the helm, El Tri has gone through a total of 49 different lineups in his 49 games in charge. Looking ahead, there's no sign of that streak stopping anytime soon.
The good news for those who are worried about any expected changes is that Mexico can afford to make alterations. Considering the depth of Osorio's roster, backups such as Jesus Manuel Corona, Jonathan dos Santos and a few others are more than capable of thriving in the World Cup. With a tougher final group-stage match set against Sweden, Osorio should also have good reason to give some rest to a few of his players.
As long as the manager doesn't rotate more than a handful of players, Mexico should have no problems securing a positive result against South Korea.
2. Can Mexico improve its finishing?
Lost in the commotion of the historic win over Germany was the fact that Mexico's finishing was awful. In its World Cup opener, El Tri wasted countless opportunities that should have gifted the CONCACAF giant at least a few goals instead of just one. Looking further back, one can't also help but notice that Mexico has scored only twice in the team's past five games.
That needs to change. If not, El Tri might find itself with a draw or loss against a South Korean roster that will be desperate for points.
Although Mexico should be applauded for the victory over Germany, there should also be a recognition that there is serious room for improvement in the attack. For Mexico to continue thriving in the World Cup, the team must be more efficient with opportunities in the final third.
3. Will the controversial chant once reappear?
Earlier this week, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) was hit with a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs for the controversial goalkeeper chant that was present in the Germany game. The chant, which has been recognized as discriminatory and homophobic, continues to be a dark cloud that lingers above the newfound success of the national team.
Although the FMF and Liga MX clubs have traditionally done a poor job of dealing with the issue, there now seems to be more effort from the federation and players to stamp out the chant in the World Cup.
Whether the chant continues remains to be seen in this weekend's clash against South Korea.