MEXICO CITY – Mexican national team forward Omar Bravo may have lasted just one season in MLS, but there was no animosity coming from the former Sporting Kansas City forward on Monday.
“It was the best experience I’ve had at international level,” Bravo told journalists after Mexico’s training on Monday. “I had a great time and I’m eager to return, I would love to play there again.”
The 33-year-old Atlas player added that if a return to MLS was to materialize, it would make more sense for it to happen sooner rather than later.
“It’s possible, I don’t want to go when I’m too old,” said a smiling Bravo. “I want to go [while I am] still young.”
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Bravo played the 2011 MLS season with Sporting, scoring nine goals, but followed it up with a fruitless spell back in Mexico with Cruz Azul.
Since a controversial winter move to Atlas – the archrivals of his first club, Chivas Guadalajara – Bravo has rolled back the clock, firing his new team into second position in the Liga MX with six goals in 11 games.
Despite the goals, it was still a minor surprise when Mexico manager José Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre called Bravo into the squad to face the US, considering his last appearance for El Tri came back in August 2009.
Delighted to be back in international football, the Los Mochis, Sinaloa, native regards the US squad coming to face Mexico in the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday as a dangerous threat for El Tri.
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“[I have] the best of opinions about them,” said Bravo. “They are at a good level and they’re going to come and play with intelligence.”
Bravo does have some inside knowledge about the US team from his time in MLS and specifically his former teammate Graham Zusi, who he says is “a very good player.”
“It would be great to be able to say hi to him and also Matt Besler tomorrow before [the game],” added the 2006 World Cup veteran.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
