Interim Mexico manager Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti has one match left before facing the United States next month at the Rose Bowl.
Partidos moleros or not, the manager found a 3-3 result in his first friendly last week against Trinidad Tobago, and will now be facing an intimidating Argentina roster on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Considering that the South American side is coming off of a 7-0 victory over Bolivia, Ferretti has a difficult task at hand of preparing Mexico for the CONCACAF Cup match on Oct. 10 against the U.S.
Let's check out the five things to watch for in El Tri's Tuesday night's friendly at ATT Stadium:
1. Munoz's big opportunity
Before last week's friendly in Sandy, Utah, goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera appeared to have the slight upper hand over Moises Munoz. The Toluca player had success with El Tri in the past and had arguably been one of the best goalkeepers in Liga MX during the past few seasons.
However, after having a couple of surprise shaky moments against Trinidad Tobago, Talavera's slim advantage disappeared and has now given Munoz a massive chance to become Ferretti's No.1 player in net.
The 35-year-old has been a constant presence for years as an El Tri backup and garnered another call-up due to his current successful in the Apertura with Club America. With Talavera having an underwhelming performance last week, Munoz could take over in net and lead Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup match against the United States next month.
It's an exciting opportunity, but Munoz will be tested against an Argentina side that features Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Ezequiel Lavezzi.
2. Defensive improvements
In last week's 3-3 draw against Trinidad Tobago, Mexico's obvious area of concern was its defense. Oswaldo Alanis, Diego Reyes, Israel Jimenez, and Jorge Torres Nilo all struggled during Friday night's sold-out match at Rio Tinto Stadium. Only Torres Nilo emerged with a few bright moments, but he too did little justify a future starting role in the CONCACAF Cup.
Now, three regular defensive starters are set to return for El Tri. Hector Moreno, Rafael Marquez, and Miguel Layun should all start in Tuesday's match. Paul Aguilar would have been included in the list of returnees, but the Club America player will unfortunately miss out on the match after sustaining a recent injury.
The addition of Moreno, Marquez, and Layun will provide some confidence in the backline, but all three still have plenty to prove. Moreno is just returning from an injury, Marquez is beginning to show a drop in his form, and Layun has had problems with consistency.
Considering the fact that El Tri will be facing a very talented attack, Mexico may need some luck in order to have a solid performance defensively. Still, Ferretti may employ a tactical shift to help the team in marking.
On Monday afternoon's press conference, he hinted at a backline with three defenders. Alanis or Reyes could potentially return to the defense with Moreno and Marquez.
3. Can Hernandez get back to scoring?
Will Javier Hernandez end his scoreless streak (he hasn't found the net since June 27) against Argentina? With a lack of playing time for Manchester United, and an injury in early July which left him out of the Gold Cup, the 27-year-old has had some difficult times during the past few months.
Since his departure from United, Hernandez has moved on to Bayer Leverkusen and already played a friendly with the German club last week. He didn't score in the exhibition and the expectations will undoubtedly be higher in a more familiar environment with El Tri.
A goal or two at ATT Stadium on Tuesday will be the perfect boost in self-esteem for the striker. Hernandez is an iconic figure for the Mexican national team and will be a key player next month against the U.S. An end to his current goalless streak, and hopefully an impressive showing, will be critical for Mexico.
4. Last chance for players to impress Ferretti
Tuesday will be the final opportunity for many Mexican players to make a case for themselves to Ferretti.
Ferretti appears to have saved his best options for the upcoming game, meaning that it will likely be a match for many of the starting players to maintain their roles. For example, a bad game from Layun could mean that a player like Torres Nilo will sneak into his starting spot. Other probable starters like Marquez, Hernandez, and Munoz also still have plenty to prove when given minutes on Tuesday.
It will be interesting to see which substitutions will be made by Ferretti as well. The limited time on the pitch will be highly-valuable for those making late auditions for the national team. Javier Aquino and Carlos Esquivel were both impressive in the last match and could cement a key role in the squad if they are brought off the bench.
5. Herrera finding his rhythm
Hector Herrera played less than 20 minutes in last week's friendly, but the midfielder was threatening in the attack with nearly every ball at his feet. The 25-year-old released multiple powerful shots in his short time, one of which was placed beautifully on target and gave Mexico the equalizer during the 85th minute.
The goal of the match was much-needed for the Porto player. Herrera had a disappointing performance in the Gold Cup after being expected to be one of the best players in the competition. Herrera afterwards stated that he was feeling "tired" and not at the same level as last year.
The news was worrying to fans, but on Friday, Herrera appeared to be back to his old self with his movement on the ball and dangerous shots. The midfielder still has the abilities to become one of Mexico's best players and could shine for the squad against Argentina.
Cesar Hernandez can't remember a time when soccer hasn't been a part of his daily life. Within that is a lifelong passion for El Tri. Twitter: @cesarhfutbol.
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