The Mexican national team has handed over the reins to the fourth head coach in just over a month, with two games left to prove El Tri belong in the World Cup.
As expected, the man officially placed in charge by the Mexican Football Federation on Friday is Miguel Herrera (above), the manager at Club América since 2011 and the architect behind the team’s run to the Clausura 2013 title. He leaves Las Águilas in first place in the Apertura 2013 tournament, six points clear of their nearest rivals.
Mexico will take on New Zealand in a home-and-home series beginning in Mexico City on Nov. 13 and concluding in Wellington on Nov. 20. Mexico finished fourth in the CONCACAF Hexagonal and qualified for the two-game series against New Zealand despite posting just two wins during the round.
Hererra's first match in charge of El Tri will be on Oct. 30 when Mexico face Finland in a friendly at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
The 45-year-old replaces Victor Manuel Vucetich, the beloved Monterrey manager who led El Tri during their dramatic 2-1 win over Panama on Oct. 11 and a 2-1 loss in Costa Rica on Tuesday.
The FMF also announced that it will reconvene in December to decide if Herrera will stay on after the New Zealand series concludes, even if Mexico advance to the World Cup in Brazil.
Mexico originally parted ways with José Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre in September, and then leaned on assistant Luis Fernando Tena, the man who led Mexico to the gold medal in the London Olympics. Tena, however, lasted just one match – a 2-0 loss to the United States that clinched the US’ berth in the World Cup – before Vucetich took over.
