Column/Opinion

Spain has been known as the soccer world’s biggest underachiever until La Furia Roja defeated Germany two years ago to win the Eurocup. They completely shed that monicker a week ago by hoisting the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Spain’s success should have some collateral effects. In this case, for soccer's biggest underachiever of the Western Hemisphere: the Mexican National Team, one of CONCACAF’s giants and an eternal World Cup participant, who’s biggest aspiration is to advance to a "fifth game" also known as the quarterfinals.

It can be argued that Mexico is the way it is because of Spain. It’s as simple as Latin American colonial history. Who conquered Mexico? Where did the underachieving, downtrodden, self-defeating mentality that has long plagued Mexico come from to begin with? Mexican literature is full of references to the Mexican mentality and its relation to its Spanish conquistadores.

This doesn’t mean that it’s all Spain’s fault and Mexico has no will power. Not by any means. However, the fact that Spain overcame a 60-year mental block brings great hope for Mexico’s soccer future.

Mexican soccer has come a long way in the past decade, but not as far as it could have or should have. The elusive "fifth game" has been a mental roadblock for Mexican National Team players and coaches alike. Just ask former head coach Javier Aguirre, who failed in two separate World Cups, not to make it to the final, but to the quarterfinals.

The mere fact that Mexico dreams of just making it to the quarterfinals is a conformist mentality to have, and thus, a defeated one if your hope is just to play a "fifth game."

Spain overcoming their fears and believing in themselves, as well as an abundance of talented and skilled players, is what helped them reach the World Cup final for the first time in history and take the trophy home to boot.

Mexico has had a steady stream of players exported and playing in Europe over the past several years, which is helping them adapt to the world’s game, and thus, a change in mentality. They’re starting to build a mental toughness that comes from playing and learning in some of the top leagues around the world, mostly in Holland, Spain, Germany and England.

The modern Mexican player is a different breed of player that isn’t afraid to go to a foreign land despite the language and gastronomical barriers, make sacrifices, be away from their families for large amounts of time and play their hearts out for less money than they would receive playing in the Mexican League.

Mexico has the players. Now what’s left is to get the mental edge, and a coach who has a winning mentality, regardless of his nationality.

It’s not to say that Aguirre doesn’t have that type of mentality, his is a different story. He did what he could under the circumstances. Aguirre got Mexico to the World Cup and advanced them out of the group stage, but he was run ragged and tired out in his whirlwind 13-month stint with “El Tricolor.” However, he is starting to build a track record of questionable decisions in the knockout phase of the World Cup, but again, that’s another story.

Hopefully, Mexico learns from Spain. Just like Mexico learned or accepted to play the underachieving conquered role, now is the time to take in some of the good as well, and use Spain’s conquest of the World Cup as a prime example of what can be done when someone puts their mind to it, and works hard together at being the best.