Big decisions are approaching and Roberto Martínez announces this Friday, March 20, the players he will take to the friendlies on the other side of the Atlantic against Mexico and the United States. This will be the last list before the final squad for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the summer.
In addition to testing two of the World Cup venues – the Azteca stadiums, in Mexico City, and the Mercedes-Benz stadium, in Atlanta – these matches should serve as a way for the national team coach to clear up some doubts and test some football players who, at this stage of the season, are in great shape and could, after all, be useful for the final stage.
However, judging by the previous choices, expectations about the possibility of some surprises arising are low, especially because the Portuguese have already become accustomed to the fact that the national coach has a closed group, as evidenced by the fact that 26 players were used in the qualifying phase, the same number that could lead to the final phase of the World Cup, organized by Mexico, USA and Canada.
It is true that, in addition to the 26 athletes used, other players were called up who, inexplicably, were never used, such as, for example, the young Geovany Quenda and Rodrigo Mora, who are still waiting for their first international cap, something that only 14 players achieved in just over three years of Martínez leading the corner team.
This is the coach’s opportunity to open his range a little more and show that, after all, the horizons are much broader.
Pep Guardiola: On Sunday the final of the English League Cup takes place, which will pit the top two teams in the Premier League: Arsenal and Manchester City. But more than knowing who will succeed Newcastle as winners of this competition, it will be important to know what state Pep Guardiola’s ideas are in. The Catalan coach seems, at the moment, tired of so many years in the spotlight and proof of this are the latest results and the way he is starting to clash with his critics.
After a season without trophies won, Manchester City has just been eliminated indisputably from the Champions League by a Real Madrid with many casualties. And in the last five games they only won one. Furthermore, the nine points (minus one game) delay for Arsenal in Premier League do not leave fans very optimistic.
But, more than the results, Manchester City has long stopped being that dominating team, which suffocated opponents with endless periods of possession. Is the identity of “Guardiolism” fading or is it just a crisis? This answer can be given on Sunday, at the mythical Wembley Stadium, where Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s disciple, will have to show that his Arsenal are ready to stop being the team of almost.
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