GLENDALE, Ariz. — He won't say it. Juan Carlos Osorio hardly says anything except when he's asked to break down an opponent. But surely Osorio is nervous.
He won't say if he had trouble getting to sleep Saturday night, and maybe he didn't. Maybe Osorio is so calm, so confident in his players and his methods that the typical human emotion of fear won't keep him from dreaming. If so, he's a stronger man than most. For Osorio's Mexico national soccer team, Copa America begins Sunday against Uruguay, and it's the first major tournament he's taken an international team into.
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Mexico's soccer federation took a chance when it brought in Osorio, a veteran manager but one who never had overseen a national team. Would Osorio's demanding preparation for matches and meticulous research of his own players and those he's facing translate to the international game? So far, the answer has been a resounding yes. Mexico is undefeated in the seven matches under Osorio and is yet to even concede a goal.
On Sunday, Mexico faces Uruguay at 8 p.m. ET in Phoenix. That match follows Jamaica vs. Venezuela at 5 p.m. ET in Chicago.
It's unlikely Osorio can keep Mexico unscored upon through the Copa America — if he did that you might as well make the mold for the statue outside the Estadio Azteca. And while you could call Chile a true test, Mexico was fortunate to escape Wednesday's friendly against the defending Copa America champion.
It's not that Osorio should be nervous about the squad he has. Mexico is considered among the tournament's top teams. "We want to finish in the first three of the tournament," Osorio said at a news conference Saturday. And that's the goal the federation has set for him.
But Osorio knows that if things don't go as planned, he could be back on the job market less than a year after arriving. He answered with a laugh when a BBC reporter assumed he hadn't bought a house to settle down in Mexico City.
"I haven't, and I'm not going to buy it very soon. It's without a doubt one of the most difficult jobs in football, but it's an honor and a pleasure," Osorio said. "We'll try to keep all our efforts to keep the job and hopefully fulfill the expectations."
It's also a challenge that Osorio welcomes. He said Saturday he would've preferred to face Uruguay with Luis Suarez, a forward he considers the best in the world, because he wants to face the most competitive side possible. He believes in the group.
"We're going toward the next level," Osorio said. "We want to make history, and today we're working toward that."
With a win over Uruguay, El Tri would be in command in Group C with Jamaica and Venezuela to come. If not, Osorio might be set for sleepless nights, whether he admits it or not. He'll hope instead to be dreaming of knockout stage glory.
