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Criticizing Osorio is not personal

Since Mexico beat Germany at the World Cup, people have put Osorio in a pedestal, despite his flaws

Juan Carlos Osorio at Mexico's game against Germany on June 17 - Photo: Xu Zijian/EL UNIVERSAL
19/06/2018 |15:43Gerardo Velázquez de León |
Redacción El Universal
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It’s disgraceful to want to draw the spotlight after Mexico ’s game against Germany , starting with Juan Carlos Osorio who, upon leading his team to the most glorious victory in the history of Mexico at the World Cup , stated: “ This goes for everyone who believed in me, as well as the ones that didn’t, ” referring to Jonathan Dos Santos who, at a press conference, stated: “They’re only criticizing him to fuck with him,” when talking about the Colombian coach.

It’s dangerous to get into this game. Sports critics (the real ones, not the people in motley or the shameless cheerleaders) saw the 0-7 score against Chile , the 1-4 against Germany , and the 0-1 against Jamaica , for which it would have been impossible to predict anything different from the utter disaster we saw on the field.

There is no need to issue these immature and incoherent statements which only show an inferiority complex.

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A television host, actor, or singer can offer a shameful performance one night, receiving severe and objective criticism, and he or she can perform brilliantly on the next, with the same critic putting him or her on a pedestal. We need to be able to tell the difference. It’s as if we needed to suck up to the National Team players all day, telling them that they’re wonderful, unique, and professional, and if we don’t, we become their enemies. It’s completely absurd.

If Osorio received negative criticism, it was because the team didn’t work properly at critical times, when they were supposed to show what they finally displayed at the Luzhniki stadium: Personality, solidarity, lust for victory, and extreme companionship. It is truly inspiring to watch a team like that on the field.

This is why immature responses from fans and commentators are not only absurd, but also dangerous, because after their victory against Germany, everyone expects Mexico to rise to the quarter finals without a problem, but what happens if their performance is not the same and they don’t play as well as they did when they face South Korea and Sweden ? What would their reaction be? Would Osorio say the defeat goes to everyone who didn’t believe in him? It’s a futile exercise anyway. If they have a pen, a microphone, and want to take part in the world of journalism, they should also learn one of its basic rules: By generalizing, you automatically absolve the faults of the subject in hand. Not only are their words immature and senseless, but also full of ambiguity, because they never specify who it is that wants to “fuck” with Osorio or who are the people that don’t believe in him.

Even the best and most prepared of all can be vanquished by pride, so it wouldn’t hurt if an authority from FIFA could put a stop to them. Those claims are completely unnecessary and very few people who are blinded by euphoria, have failed to notice their potential danger.

Twitter: @gvlo2008
gerardo.velazquez@eluniversalbgwire.com.mx
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English version by David Morales

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