Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 7y

Mexico's 'national team will benefit' with more players in Europe - Osorio

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio emphasized that there are plenty of Liga MX-based Mexicans with enough quality to play in Europe and argued the national team would grow from a deeper pool of players based overseas.

"I believe that there are Mexican players that deserve to be abroad," said Osorio in an exclusive interview with ESPN's Futbol Picante on Tuesday.

"To the extent that the clubs facilitate that, Mexican football will be more recognized in the future and the national team will benefit."

Osorio said Santos Laguna center-back Nestor Araujo, Pachuca winger Hirving Lozano, Chivas midfielder Orbelin Pineda and Monterrey's holding midfielder Jesus Molina all have the ability to be playing in Europe and suggested that they could comfortably play in good teams in Spain, Portugal or the Netherlands.

"I'm not saying they could go to Barcelona, but there is a process to getting there," Osorio said. "A lot of them have the possibility. The only way of us knowing whether they can play there or not is by being there."

The Colombian stated that competition for places in the national team is increasing, with the domestic-based players pushing hard for spots, but added that it is unrealistic to say Mexico is at the level of the world's elite teams right now.

"We are realists," he said in Cuernavaca, where El Tri is preparing ahead of Friday's World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.

"If we compare Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and Spain with Mexico, it is there for you and the viewers and the analysts to see where we are at."

Osorio again lamented the Liga MX's 10/8 rule -- which allows up to 10 non-homegrown players per match-day squad -- but seemed hopefully about how his side is coming together ahead of a busy summer including World Cup qualifiers, the Confederations Cup and Gold Cup.

"I think what we went through and lived in the last meet-up [in November] and what is happening now excites me a lot," he said.

"We see a really strong group that can win is coming together. I don't know if we will win or not, but we'll give everything to deserve to win."

And while Osorio's contract runs until Russia 2018, the manager seems keen to continue in the job beyond the next World Cup.

"It would be very good to stay with [Mexico] and watch the growth of [the youngsters'] careers," said the former New York Red Bulls coach.

Mexico plays Los Ticos on Friday in Estadio Azteca and then travels to face Trinidad and Tobago on March 28.

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