HERRERA STUNNED

Mexico’s national team manager Miguel Herrera says that he is stunned by the decision of forward Carlos Vela to not be part of the World Cup 2014. The Real Sociedad striker has not appeared for the national team in the previous major tournaments as well.

He is widely expected to announce his retirement at the age of 25. Herrera says that he cannot understand the reason for noncommittal from the forward towards the national team. Herrera’s arrival has heralded a new era for Mexican football after they managed to qualify for the World Cup 2014 at the last moment.
During the previous regime, it was looking highly doubtful if the national team to participate in this tournament.

Herrera’s main job now is to get Mexico in the best possible shape ahead of the group stage matches that will see the nation taking on Cameroon, Croatia and hosts Brazil. The first match of the tournament will be against Cameroon, which gives Mexico a great opportunity to put himself in contention for qualification given that they are not expected to get much from the matches against Brazil. Even Croatia will also provide a strong opposition towards three points.
Herrera said to FIFA that playing in the World Cup was his dream when he was a player and he cannot understand why Vela does not have the same.

"I really suffered when I missed out on the World Cup as a player. I worked my socks off trying to get there and when they made the final cut they left me out. I was stunned, and that's how I felt when I was with him and he said 'no, no, no'. His mind's not in it and he'd be no use to us because he's not focused on the job, which means the best thing to do is call on someone else. He doesn't want to go – that much is obvious,” said the manager.