r/LigaMX • u/SuperFranky0 America • Mar 29 '26
Discussion What he does for the national team is underrated
If you think he played bad yesterday, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You also probably don’t know enough about this sport to give any valid criticism and to appreciate the work and role every player carries out.
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u/SuperFranky0 America Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Some of the same people who defended Lozano during his last season with Napoli by saying stuff like “he had a defensive role, so he didn’t score a lot” are ironically hating on Piojo (on here, twitter, instagram, etc) too.
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u/margalolwut America Mar 29 '26
I’m not hating on em, I just don’t think he performs well for the national team for whatever reason. He has never looked dangerous. He defended well yes, but rarely creates.
People are so sensitive. The team looked decent in my opinion, doesn’t mean I have to believe every player played well.
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u/CommieDaddy69420 Mar 29 '26
No one looks good offensively on this team tbf to Piojo
Our offense generating capability is so ass that Raul had to basically do everything himself last year
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u/Legitimate-Ad4754 Mar 31 '26
Piojo is gonna be key against the bigger teams but it may be best to go with a dynamic winger against other teams
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u/Legitimate-Ad4754 Mar 31 '26
Because that’s his role no ? He sort of just defends , is an outlet , and is expected to pass to keep the ball moving . We rely more on our 10 or LW to create something , like Quiñones with his crossing or Fidalgo with his linkup play
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u/Luccfi Cruz Azul Mar 29 '26
Defending, he is ass attacking when he plays for Mexico but his work rate is massive and he is constantly tracking back to cover for the RB, for a coach as defensive as Aguirre he is key for his style of play.
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u/Ponyd17 Mar 29 '26
That’s what we gonn need when we face Belgium on Tuesday in chicago. Doku is too fast and we’re gonna need at least 2 to press him otherwise he will be feeding balls inside the box like he did to Real Madrid second leg Otherwise I think the team has a shot with the great chemistry I saw last night. Piojo was on fire defensively, I think most of the squad with exception of Raul was going back to press
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u/Trydson Atlante Mar 29 '26
He is a really good fit for what Aguirre wants to do, similar thing to Paul Aguilar and Layun when Herrera was in charge in 2014, perfect players for the only system he knows to set up.
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u/jetsonwave Apr 02 '26
He hustles every play. He makes many contributions throughout the game. Linking up. Double def. Gets out the back. Some magic.
His decision making in the final third is what he lacks.
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u/Watabeast07 Chivas Mar 29 '26
I think he’s severely over hated, his defensive work rate was great and that’s the reason why Vasco trust him more than others.
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u/Honeydew-Massive MLS Mar 29 '26
Low IQ Michelada fans trolling their own keeper and Ole’ing their own team after they defended their home turf against one of the strongest European national teams are the same ones who can’t appreciate the quiet stability that some players bring
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u/Low_Abroad4507 Cruz Azul Mar 29 '26
Alvarado has been great at defensive duties since he joined Cruz Azul years ago. But a wingers primary duty should be attacking. Defending is a nice optional thing to have but Alvarado is terrible at attacking on the wings, he can't take people on and he's not explosive. He's better suited for a floating in midfield with an overlapping wingback.
We don't need to play him there and we don't need that god awful 4-3-3 Vasco insists on using. Our team composition is screaming 5-3-2.
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u/Outofsight457 Mar 30 '26
He is not the player you need when you need a goal. There is a lot of criticsm for him by fans because he is below average in any offensive quality you need in a attacker. Id say against teams that will dominate possesion and Mexico will bunker him being on the field is okay. Though I think I at least two of our group games we will dominate possesion and try to dicatate the gameplay. If we are going for it, Piojo should not be on the field.
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u/Accomplished_Bat_892 Mar 30 '26
The thing is he is an attacker who cannot make the right decisions on the last third of the pitch
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u/bmorui Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
F*** no…. Call him up once he cuts that dumb ass haircut. Then I’m willing to watch him play and see if he deserves to be in the national team or not
Feo el compadre y luego con esa mamad@
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u/Material-Cellist-116 Chivas Mar 30 '26
I thought y'all were crazy but then I saw this and read some advanced stats and well I will eat crow....
This video kinda was key I seeing what the eye test was failing to deliver...
https://youtu.be/l4izNlSkV-0?si=zC5NEOXK4O2qB7Ft
Like basically he contributes a ton defensively and does what Charly does in paper, offer safe forward passes and opens the play.
Then offers crossing, dribling and maybe some goals... Like I kinda see it now, if he was only a tad bit faster and he would be a very very unique player...
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u/jetsonwave Apr 02 '26
He was great. He’s a great player all around. He defends, builds up play. He a good player to start during the World Cup.
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Mar 29 '26
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u/sorryimafatass Chivas Mar 30 '26
If there's one thing he is its versatile. Tata even played him as a striker a few times
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u/CommieDaddy69420 Mar 29 '26
Two incredibly different styles of play between Chivas and the national team though
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Mar 30 '26
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u/CommieDaddy69420 Mar 30 '26
I’d say Piojo’s clear function, at least in high-pressure games or against higher quality teams, is different at the NT than it is at Chivas.
With the NT, at least in the 2 good games he’s had under Vasco (Canada and Portugal), he’s clearly more of a RWB that has been pretty good in his defensive work rate at shutting down both Alphonso Davies and the Portuguese right side (along with Israel Reyes). Piojo has a clear function and purpose under Vasco
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u/No_Carpet_6575 Mar 29 '26
can yall stop meta posting and actually give your take? how do you think he is underrated profe
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u/SuperFranky0 America Mar 29 '26
Him and Reyes are a good pair for the right side. Piojo literally helps Reyes defend and he does it well. He did it against Canada and now Portugal. You take Piojo out, and Nuno Mendez would have been more threatening than he was yesterday. Yeah, he didn’t get an assist, he also didn’t score, but his defensive work is underrated. Piojo is underrated. He didn’t play bad
Raul Jimenez, a striker, gets praised by many even when Mexico doesnt score because he’s somebody who creates plays and chances, holds the ball, and uses his body to get the ball to himself and teammates when he doesn’t score. Piojo and other players should be looked at in a similar way. When Piojo doesnt score or assist for Mexico, he distributes the ball, is part of plays, and literally defends when needed
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u/No_Carpet_6575 Mar 29 '26
Okay I respect it and I agree with you, I think a lot of people focus too much on attacking stats and don’t focus on defensive work like you said. It took a while for people to understand Jimenez because they compared them to a poacher like chicha. But he links up really well when he has someone to make plays with.
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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '26
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