Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has admitted that his work in scouting domestic Liga MX players has become more complicated since the league's 10/8 rule was implemented.
The rule -- which allows up to 10 non-homegrown players in each matchday squad -- came in ahead of the Apertura 2016 and has seen the number of foreigners starting games in Mexico's top division hover around the 50 percent mark, making it difficult to create competition for some positions within El Tri.
"It is something we have to take into consideration because when we talk about the great national teams like Argentina and Brazil, their leagues are 90 or 95 percent [made up] of domestic players," said Osorio in a Mexico City news conference. "In Mexico the opposite occurs."
Osorio added that "there are games in which we go to in order to see three players and sometimes we only get to see one" and gave a gloomy prediction that things will be even more difficult for the next Mexico coach if more young domestic players aren't given the chance in Liga MX.
The Colombian former New York Red Bulls coach talked about a range of subjects in the news conference, including the make-up of the Mexico squad that will be put together for June's Confederations Cup and July's Gold Cup.
"The more consolidated players will go to the qualifying games [against Honduras and the United States] and the Confederations [Cup]," he said. "For the Gold Cup, [it'll be] the players that hope to compete, that are consolidating themselves and are nearing the full first team."
Osorio read a quote from the FIFA rule book stating that it will be difficult for players to appear in both competitions, as clubs are only obliged to release them for one summer tournament.
The goal at the Confederation Cup will be to reach the semifinal, said Osorio, although he did acknowledge that the tournament is "elite" and that a group containing Portugal, New Zealand and Russia would be tough.
Finally, Osorio wasn't keen to give his opinion on the present political situation between Mexico and the United States, responding to questions by saying his job preparing for El Tri's first game of the year against Iceland on Feb. 8 in Las Vegas is enough to occupy him at the moment.