Mexico - South Korea

International Friendly

Mexico (-0.5 AH) @ 2.02, 3/10
Result: 4-0, WON

Jamaica - Mexico

World Cup 2014, CONCACAF Qualifiers

Mexico went off to a very rough start in these qualifications, something that is very rare to see, as they are without a doubt the best team in their geographical area. But right now they are in a bit of a jam, as they only have 3 points from their first 3 matches, drawing with all their opponents so far (USA, Jamaica and Honduras). So there's no space for more mistakes, as they could find themselves well behind the rest of the challengers, and even though the 4th place leads to a play-off, I'm sure they'll want a direct qualification. Full squad is expected for them, with the best available players, as coach de la Torre won't be taking any chances. Ochoa, Rodriguez, Moreno, Torrado, Guardado and Chicharito Hernandez are some of the high-profile players that have been called-up, and will most likely start from the first minute. Against them, we'll have Jamaica, a team without any big players, results or tradition. They got to this stage from a group with USA, Guatemala and Antigua & Barbuda... easy group to qualify from, but their best feat was being able to defeat USA at home. However, now it should be a different story, as Mexico needs the points, and they have the quality to take all of them. The odds are very good, considering how normally we wouldn't get anything above 1.50, so this bet is definitely worth a go. GL!

Mexico (-0.5 AH) @ 1.94, 5/10
Result: 0-1, WON

Uruguay - Mexico

Copa America

Uruguay have been kind of disappointing so far, with only 2 points after their matches against Chile and Peru, so in this last round of the group stage, they are more or less in a must-win situation. They could indeed qualify from the third place, but it's way to risky to play it like that, and since they are facing the only team with zero points after 2 rounds, I'm sure they'll go for the kill. Uruguay has huge quality up-front, and even though they haven't been anything special so far, I think it's time they start showing some skills. Extra-motivation for them could be that a win here will also very likely see them winning the group, as Chile and Peru have a tough match (I expect a draw there), so a two-goal win over Mexico should be enough. The Mexicans have lived up to their 'expectations', and haven't been able to take a single point from Chile and Peru. The lack of experience from within their ranks had a major impact on the team, as the players simply looked unable to cope with their more prestigious opponents. And so far they haven't had to deal with Suarez, Forlan or Cavanni. Should be a big motivation for Uruguay here, and I expect them to go for the kill. GL!

Uruguay (-0.75 AH) @ 1.74, 5/10

Result: 1-0, HALF WON

Peru - Mexico

Copa America

Can't believe these odds, and even more surprising is that they're not falling at all. Odds on Chile against the Mexicans went from 2.20 to 1.40, but there seems to be little movement here. Not saying that Peru should be as big a favorite as Chile was, but still, I see anything above 1.80 as pure value. Mexico is forced to use their Olympic U-23 squad, with only 5 senior players, and if there is anyone worth mentioning, that is Gio dos Santos. And that's it! All the other players from their squad are from the local league, and neither of them has a worth-mentioning name or history. They didn't play too bad against Chile, but I mainly blame it on the Chileans underestimation of the young Mexican team. I don't expect the same issue with Peru... they are aware of their lowly status in South America, so they take each match with determination. That is their main weapon, as well as a very careful and organized play, leaving few spaces for their opponents, and that is how they snatched that point from Uruguay. So I expect this match against Mexico to be a rather tight and dull affair, but Peru should come out on top at the end. Even if they don't, I just can't imagine losing, so this DNB bet is perfect. GL!

Peru DNB @ 1.72, 4/10

Result: 1-0, WON

Chile - Mexico

Copa America

Don't understand why the odds are still so high for this match. Under FIFA rules, Mexico are allowed to participate in this tournament using their Olympic U-23 team, along with 5 senior players (over 23 years). Though the final list hasn't been submitted yet, the preliminary list looks very weak. From the 25 players on that list, 17 have never played for the national team. Jonathan dos Santos, from Barcelona B, is the only known players in the squad, and the only one to play outside of Mexico (Carlos Vela was also on that list, but he was later withdrawn). So a team that looks very weak on paper, and honestly, I don't expect them to make a big fuss in this competition. Chile hasn't finalized their list either, but from the 28 players nominated, we can see some real classy names: Claudio Bravo from Real Sociedad, Matias Fernandez from Sporting and Alexis Sanchez from Udinese, just to name a few, and there is no reason to believe they will miss out of the final list. Chile showed some good football in the World Cup, with roughly the same players, so I expect them to also have a good run in Copa America. Their opening match against Mexico should be a morale boost, should they get the win, and I see them as clear favorites if we take into account the quality of their players, and the experience difference between them and Mexico's squad. Odds should be around 1.40 in my opinion, so the current odds represent huge value. GL!

Chile (-0.5 AH) @ 2.12, 6/10

Result: 2-1, WON

Mexico - Honduras

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011

In the quarter-finals, Mexico didn't deliver as expected, winning just 2-1, but I'm not going to lose my confidence in them. Guatemala can consider themselves fortunate to escape just with a 1-2 defeat. They scored early in the game, following a defensive mistake from Mexico, but after that goal, there was only one team on the field. Mexico dominated, managed to overturn the score and also missed several good chances to increase their lead. Menawhile, Honduras can also thank Lady Luck for this semi-final appearance. They weren't the better team in the quarters against Costa Rica, and had a lot of luck to qualify. First, Saborio missed a penalty in the second half, that would have given Costa Rica the lead. Then, there was a huge chance missed by Ticos in extra-time, before 2 players hit the crossbar in the following shoot-out, thus awarding Honduras a 4-2 penalty win. The handicap is finally lowered for Mexico, as was expected to be in the latter stages, and I don't think they will have any emotions to reach the final. They are simply a class better than all the other teams, and the worst case scenario that I can see is just a win by the minimum difference, but normally this should go down as an easy 2-0 or 3-0. GL!

Mexico (-1.25 AH) @ 1.82, 4/10

Result: 0-0, LOST

Mexico - Guatemala

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011

Mexico went into the quarter-finals with an 100% record in the group stage, reaffirming their status as huge favorites (especially after USA's recent slumps). But not only did they with all 3 of their matches so far, the fashion in which they did was really top-class: two consecutive 5-0 victories against El Salvador and Cuba, followed by a 4-1 win against Costa Rica, in a match where Mexico actually rested a couple of players. So it is quite clear that they are at least one class better than all of the other teams present. They should get a nice rest before this match (5 days between the matches), and I expect them to power their engines again (although they don't need even 50% to easily beat anyone). Guatemala managed an unspectacular qualification, but they were in the weakest group, along Jamaica, Honduras and Grenada. A draw with Honduras, defeat against Jamaica and just a 2-0 win with poor Grenada were enough for them to qualify, although as the best ranked 3rd place finisher. But they are poor, and if Jamaica managed to beat them easily, I also expect a total wash-out from Mexico. The handicap could have been bigger (I was actually expecting a -2.5), so this one looks more than acceptable. I just don't see Mexico failing to win by more than 3 goals. GL!

Mexico (-2.25 AH) @ 1.75, 4/10

Result: 2-1, LOST

Mexico - Venezuela

International Friendly Match

Opposite directions for these 2 teams. Venezuela will be pretty much closing their preparation for Copa America, after already beating Guatemala 2-0, and losing 0-3 against world champions Spain. So, this will be their final match, the one after which coach Farias will decide who stays in the squad for Copa America, and who goes home. They currently have their best players in the squad, and even though there are no top class players, they still have a few that play in decent teams across Europe: Roberto Rosales (Twente), Juan Arango (Borussia Monchegladbach) and Nicolas Fedor (Getafe), just to name those will start today's match. On the other hand, this will be Mexico's first match as preparation for Copa America. You probably are already familiar with the rules under which they compete: the U-23 Olympic squad, plus 5 players older than 23. But even so, they will have some absences tonight, as defender Johnny Magallon (expected to be the team's leader) is injured, while dos Santos is with the Gold Cup squad (and I really doubt he will be kept in the Copa America too). Therefore, Mexico will be left with their youngsters, and a lot of debutants. Venezuela already have some rhythm after a few matches, and the odds are pretty much set wrong here. Don't think Venezuela will lose tonight. GL!

Venezuela (+0.5 AH) @ 1.74, 4/10

Result: 0-3, WON

Mexico - Cuba

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011

The handicap for the Mexicans is abysmal this time, and even though I know there is hardly any value here, I will still take the bet, as I see it as a pretty sure thing. After the first match-day in Group A, we can already draw some conclusions. both Mexico and Costa Rica look up to the challenge, as both dismantled their opponents with a whooping 5-0. If El Salvador can have some excuses, as they were always expected to lose heavily (and they held Mexico to a draw until HT, and that's a big achievement), Cuba has showed a truly shameful performance. Of course, Costa Rica were rightly favorites, and everybody expected them to win, but not with that score, and not in that fashion (the 5-0 score could have been even bigger, as the Ticos missed a couple of other clear-cut  chances). Mexico will surely show their class again, and it shouldn't even be a problem of determination here, as the Mexicans can score 3-4 goals just for fun and without breaking any sweat. (some of Cuba's recent 'performances' also include: a 1-2 defeat against Guadeloupe, a 0-0 draw with Grenada and a 0-2 defeat against Panama). As I said, the handicap is huge, but is justified, and I'll use the same stakes as I used for the previous match. Odds will most probably drop heavily again. GL!

Mexico (-2.5 AH) @ 1.74, 4/10

Result: 5-0, WON

Mexico - El Salvador

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011

Well, I know this may look predictable, and the handicap is bigger than what I lately take, but I really can't see how this could fail. Betting on Mexico in this competition should pay-off, especially in the group stage. All their stars are called-up in the squad for this tournament, and the only absences worth mentioning are of Jonny Magallon, Carlos Vela and Jonathan dos Santos. But it really matter too little when you have players like Javier Hernandez, Andres Guardado, Efrain Juarez or Giovani dos Santos in your squad. They are around 2 classes better than all the other teams in the Gold Cup (except maybe the USA), and I expect them to make a firm point in dismantling their opponents. If I wanted one more confirmation of their status, I got it in their friendly against New Zealand, when they made a great first half, got an easy 3-0 lead, and then just played it out until the end. And there's no doubt that New Zealand is a much better team than El Salvador, a team than managed to lose with Panama, Honduras and Jamaica... just to name a few from this year's performances. 99% of their players are from the local league, who'se teams constantly get pounded by the Mexican teams in the CONCACAF Champions League. If we need one more reason, their last meeting in the World Cup qualifiers ended with a comfortable 4-1 win for the Mexicans, showing they mean business when they have to. GL!

Mexico (-1.75 AH) @ 1.80, 4/10

Result: 5-0, WON

Cruz Azul - Estudiantes Tecos

Football, Mexico Primera Division, Clausura

Cruz Azul are still known as the 'Almost team', as they somehow manage to drown at the end of the road (usually in a final) after a great run until then. Apertura 2008, Clausura 2008 and 2009, CONCACAF Champions League 2010... in all of these competitions, they failed in the Final. Last year, in the Apertura 2010 was the same story. They topped the league table after the regular season, and were showing great football, scoring a lot of goals and being very pleasant to watch. But the same mental breakdown happened in the play-offs, as they surprisingly lost in the quarter finals against Pumas. So they have to start all over again in this Clausura. The good thing is that they kept Meza as a coach. He really worked wonders with the team, and they improved a lot with him at the helm. So now, he can continue his work, and I'm sure that in 2011 we'll see the same impressive Cruz Azul as last year. They have also kept all of their important players, so if they beat their mental problems, this could be their year. Tecos were awful in Apertura, finishing the league second from bottom, with the most dreadful defense (36 goals conceded in 17 matches). They tried to strengthen their squad during the break, but they only focused on the midfield and offense, leaving the defense just as wide open as last year. They also have a new coach, so maybe there will be some positive effect in the squad. Wanted to take the handicap on Cruz Azul, but this being the first match of the year, Tecos might surprise a bit. Still, 2-3 goals for Cruz Azul should be a lock, and the odds for over 2.5 are good enough to be taken. GL!

over 2.5 goals @ 1.93, 3/10

Result: 4-1, WON

Necaxa - Jaguares Chiapas

Mexico Primera Division, Clausura

I really like the under on this one. Both teams will want to start the competition with a positive result, but caution should be the word of the day, mostly because both are quite impotent. Necaxa used to keep it tight in their home matches in Apertura, losing just once with a difference bigger than a goal, and most of the times keeping the goals to a maximum of 2 (and as far as the exceptions are concerned, it certainly wasn't their merit for the 3rd goal). Meanwhile, Jaguares might have enjoyed a good season, qualifying for the Liguilla, but have only won a single match as visitors, and in only 2 occasions they were involved in a match with more than 2 goals. Both teams are near the relegation zone, but only Necaxa is in desperate need of points. Still, a loss for Jaguares might give them a pinch, and as I've said before, both teams should take on this match with caution. Necaxa also strengthened their team with no less than 9 players, and since only little time passed since Apertura ended, don't expect a very well blend in team, as they'll need some time to form a compact team (if they ever will). Low score expectations here, as I just can't see past a maximum of 2 goals. GL!

under 2 goals @ 2.13, 3/10

Result: 0-1, WON