Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 7y

Mexico's Juan Carlos Osorio thrilled with Chicharito's move to West Ham

LOS ANGELES -- Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio laid down a challenge to El Tri's Confederations Cup squad to challenge themselves as much as possible at their club sides ahead of the next year's World Cup.

And the Colombian believes striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has done just that by moving to West Ham United from Bayer Leverkusen.

"He'll be in a great league with very good teams," said Osorio in a news conference on the even of Mexico's Gold Cup semifinal with Jamaica at the Rose Bowl.

"He'll get minutes and the plus with that league is that it's maybe the only in the world in which last place can defeat first place. He'll have the opportunity to compete with the best in very good games."

Osorio and his coaching staff asked the players to try to find a away of being involved in at least 10 "high level" games before Russia 2018, with Mexico still having relatively few players in the best European leagues compared to most top nations.

The former Atletico Nacional coach is also happy with Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado's transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Real Betis.

"He's in a league where he'll play the derby against Sevilla and games against [Real] Madrid and Barcelona," stated Osorio, who also talked up Hirving Lozano's opportunity with PSV in the Eredivisie.

The Mexico manager stressed that the current Gold Cup squad has 10 players between the ages of 19 and 24 and said he's enjoying the challenge of bringing them through to challenge for a place in the full El Tri squad.

"The biggest motivation to continue [as Mexico coach after the next World Cup] is to see these youngsters consolidate themselves," said Osorio. "If time allows me that or not is not my decision."

One of those young players is Chivas midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro, who has already made a big domestic move from Pachuca in his fledgling career, but he hopes one day to be joining the likes of Hernandez and Guardado in Europe.

"It's always been my dream to be in Europe, hopefully in the future the opportunity will come," Pizarro said in the same news conference.

Osorio also talked about Sunday's match against Jamaica, a team El Tri could only draw 0-0 in the group stage of the Gold Cup. The Colombian said that there will be changes in the starting lineup compared to the 1-0 quarterfinal win over Honduras and praised the "athletic" and "fast" Reggae Boyz.

Jesus Molina and Cesar Montes are injury doubts for Mexico, according to Osorio, while Jamaica coach Theodore Whitmore indicated that Portland Timbers striker striker Darren Mattocks is on the treatment table and struggling to make the game.

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