Juan Carlos Osorio Steps Down as Mexico National Team Manager
Mexico National Team manager Juan Carlos Osorio is stepping down from his postion, the team announced.
The manager turned down a contract extension, according to ESPN's Tom Marshall. In the team's tweeted announcement, it acknowledged Osorio for his work.
"We are thankful for your passion and committment you gave every match," the tweet said.
Osorio, who guided Mexico to the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup, had his contract expire after the competition.
The 56-year-old managed his first game for Mexico in November 2015, a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over El Salvador that came on the heels of El Tri's triumph over the USA in the Concacaf Cup playoff, which confirmed a place in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He won his first nine matches in charge and only lost one of his first 20–but the one loss was a big one, an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals.
Osorio survived the outcry for his job after that loss, though, and led Mexico to the semifinals at the Confederations Cup, a first-place finish in Concacaf World Cup qualifying–which included a first win for Mexico over the USA in Columbus, Ohio–and a landmark win over Germany in the opening match in Russia. A failure to beat or tie Sweden in the final day of group play resulted in a second-place group finish and a date with Brazil in the round of 16, where Mexico fell for a seventh straight World Cup.
El Tri begins the long road to Qatar 2022 with a pair of friendlies in the USA in September, taking on Uruguay in Houston on Sept. 7 before facing the Americans four days later in Nashville.
