Let's be honest, this could be the best Mexican National soccer team we have ever seen.
El Tri finished the 2014 World Cup with their second best position in history (10th), against the stiffest competition in the world, so how can they not be favored to at least be a top tier team to advance into the knockout stage of the Americas?
Now I know some of you might cringe at this, but really you have to look at the big picture and the talent around 'El Tri' that has multiple talented players under the age of 30, who are competing at a high level throughout Europe.
Andres Guardado is arguably the best player in the Dutch league and second best could be Hector Moreno. Hector “Double-H” Herrera and Miguel 'El Guero' Layun are making a statement for best players in the Portuguese league after impressing all at Porto FC, along with Jesus 'Tecatito' Corona.
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez torched the Bundesliga, a league with arguably one of the best clubs in the world, Bayern Munich, and led his Bayer Leverkusen team with 17 goals scored in 28 appearances. Hernandez has 26 goals scored in all his appearances for Leverkusen.
Hernandez and his team were able to consistently battle as he provided everybody with a glimpse of what made him such a highly regarded talent at an early age.
The past is behind them all and the talent around the team, which doesn't look dramatically different from the 2014 World Cup, is by far more seasoned.
Just think, the eight regular starters from that roster are back for El Tri. Imagine a Mexico team that looks nearly identical from that World Cup.
In the cup, they dominated Croatia, beat Cameroon and drew with Brazil only to fall to the Dutch after two late scores that were struck within the final three minutes of regular time, including the questionable penalty call on Arjen Robben, in stoppage time of the knockout round.
They were tied for the least amount of goals allowed in the group stage with just one in three games.
If that doesn't give you an idea of their potential, remember that the attackers for this team are prolific and have proven in difficult circumstances that they can score, oh and all forwards with the exception of Oribe 'El Cepillo” Peralta who is 32, are very young.
And only six players are 30 or older from the 23 on the roster for this run.
Hernandez will be 28 by the start of the tournament and Raul Jimenez, who has been a steady player at Portugal power Benfica scoring 5 goals in 28 games this past season, is only 25.
Corona is 23 and the youngest of the attackers is Hirving Lozano, who is a respectable prospect, is only 20-years old. With the exception of Rafa Marquez (37) and Paul Aguilar (30), the six other defenders on the roster are 28 or younger.
The midfield is anchored by the two of Mexico's best in Herrera and Guardado, who will have to play nearly flawless as they did during the World Cup, along with the defense who was nearly impenetrable along with the help of keeper Memo Ochoa.
If Ochoa, who hasn't seen the field much while at Malaga at just 11 games since 2014, is not able to start, Mexico still has two very highly potential keepers in Jose Corona, a 2012 Gold medalist during the summer Olympics, and Alfredo Talavera.
I can't finish this without mentioning how Jurgen Damm should flourish in this tournament. Let's see how head coach Juan Carlos Osorio will fare.
Before they embark on their Copa America journey, El Tri will take on Paraguay then Chile in two International friendlies on Saturday then Wednesday at a time yet to be determined.
