Mexico Searches for Redemption in CONCACAF Nations League Match Against Suriname

El Tri’s Disappointing World Cup Performance

Mexico will try to pick up the pieces from a disappointing 2022 World Cup as they take on Suriname in CONCACAF Nations League play on Thursday. El Tri crashed out of the World Cup group stage as Argentina and Poland advanced to the Round of 16 ahead of them. That left head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino without a job, and the national team searching for answers with less than four years before they serve as joint hosts of the 2026 event.

Diego Cocca Takes Over as Manager

Mexico snatched Diego Cocca from Liga MX side Tigres to take charge of the team at the start of this cycle, and he helms his first match in charge on the road in Paramaribo.

Winning Brings Mexico Closer to Final Four

The new boss cannot officially secure a place in the ‘final four’ stage of the Nations League with a win here against the 139th-ranked team, but it would bring Mexico on the doorstep with a final match against Jamaica on tap for Sunday.

Where to Watch

The match will be broadcast in Spanish on TUDN and Univision, which are both available to stream on fubo, which offers a free trial for new users. For an English-language broadcast of the match, CBS streaming service Paramount+ will carry the game for subscribers.

Suriname’s Dual Citizen Players

A number of players born in the Netherlands will be taking the field for Suriname’s national team as dual citizens, with many native Surinamese having emigrated there over the years. For that reason 19 of the 23 players on the squad ply their trade in Europe.

Notable Absences for Suriname

The creativity will likely flow through Sheraldo Becker, who has seven goals and four assists for Bundesliga side Union Berlin, which is involved in a battle for the German top-flight title. The team has several notable absences, including forward Mitchell Te Vrede, Genoa’s Ridgeciano Haps (injury), QPR’s Kenneth Paal, and Maccabi Haifa’s Tjaronn Chery (personal reasons), who were all replaced in the squad.

Split Squad for Mexico

For his debut as Mexico manager, Diego Cocca has split up his team to manage both matches against Suriname (Thursday) and Jamaica (Sunday). There are 12 players who stayed back in Mexico to prepare for the Jamaica match. Making the trip to Suriname were 22 players with four players based abroad: Julian Araujo (Barcelona B), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk), Erick Gutierrez (PSV Eindhoven), and Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord).

Mexico Projected Starting Lineup

Mexico projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Acevedo (GK) — K. Alvarez, N. Araujo, Angulo, Arteaga — Cordova, Sanchez, Gutierrez — Antuna, Gimenez, Alvarado.

Favoritism of Mexico

Despite the poor showing at the World Cup, Mexico are massive favorites in this game, expected to win handily. As such, the handicap is upwards of 2.5 goals (Mexico -2.5), with El Tri just barely over plus odds on that front. As a result, the total over is also inflated (up to 3.5 goals) as Mexico are expected to take advantage of the talent disparity.

Credit: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/suriname-vs-mexico-live-stream-tv-time-odds-nations-league/q5xxhausogq1q7qi2zf9vl4j

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