Mexico Team Of The Decade 2000-2010

Mexican soccer had its ups and downs throughout the last decade. Turmoil highlighted the early part of the last 10 years as managers came and went but Javier Aguirre brought stability to the national team. He turned around Mexico's World Cup qualifying hopes in 2001 and led the team to the Copa America final that year as well. A bad loss to the United States in the Round of 16 in 2002, though, spoiled what could have been a memorable World Cup run.

Mexico improved over the next four years but reached no further in Germany 2006, as El Tri crashed out against Argentina. For their last cycle of the decade, Aguirre is back but the team is once again headed into turmoil as Mexico's hopes of reaching South Africa are in trouble. But El Tri have shown that they can overcome great odds and are still one of the region's top teams.

In the league, the most popular teams were not always the best, as America, Chivas, Cruz Azul and Pumas combined for just six titles from the Verano 2000 to the Clausura 2009 seasons. Pachuca and Toluca were the classiest teams of the decade.

Here's a look at the top players who stood out for both club and country during the last 10 years.

Oswaldo Sanchez

A three-time World Cup veteran, Sanchez finally had his opportunity to play in one when he lined up for all four of El Tri’s games in Germany 2006 and guided Mexico to the Round of 16. Sanchez also led Mexico to a CONCACAF Gold Cup title, in 2003. The unquestionable starting goalkeeper for Mexico from early 2003 to Feb. 2009, Sanchez has been a league standout as well, having led Chivas and Santos to league titles in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Ricardo Osorio

A standout defender at Cruz Azul early in his career, Osorio gained attention by European clubs during the 2006 World Cup. After displaying fine ability on the right side, Osorio was snatched up by German club Stuttgart and made a surprising move abroad in time for the 2006-07 campaign. Along with teammate Pavel Pardo, Osorio and Pardo became the first Mexicans to win a Bundesliga title as Stuttgart claimed the trophy in May 2007. Osorio has also been Mexico’s first-choice right back since the 2003 Gold Cup.

Carlos Salcido

A late bloomer on the national team, Salcido quickly became a fixture for El Tricolor following Copa America 2004. With Claudio Suarez finally giving way to age, room opened up for Salcido on the backline and the then-Chivas defender nabbed it. Salcido was a first-choice defender during the early rounds of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup and was a key player during the tournament. He parlayed success in Germany 2006 to a European contract as he latched onto PSV Eindhoven for the 2006-07 season and has won two Eredivisie titles with the Dutch club.

Rafael Marquez

One of the most polished defenders in Mexican league history, Marquez is a lock for Mexico’s all-time team. A standout since his youth days with Atlas, Marquez progressed through the ranks in Europe, as he moved from Monaco to Catalan giants Barcelona in 2003. Marquez is a veteran of two World Cups and helped Mexico win the Gold Cup in 2003 and reach the Copa America final in 2001. Marquez has also helped Barcelona win three Spanish league titles, two UEFA Champions League crowns as well as a Copa Del Rey crown during his standout career with Barcelona.

Ramon Morales

Veteran leadership and outstanding set-piece skills have been Morales’ calling card for some time. A fixture on the left side for both Mexico and Guadalajara, Morales helped El Tri move from manager to manager as he was there to help bridge the gap between Javier Aguirre and Ricardo Lavolpe in 2003. He was a key player in Gold Cups and Copa Americas and played in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Gerardo Torrado

When Javier Aguirre took over with Mexico in 2001, one of his first moves was to place Torrado in the middle of the field. For the next eight years, that move has paid off as Torrado’s development soared under Aguirre. He started for El Tri in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and has been a key performer in Mexico’s qualifying cycle for the 2010 World Cup. Torrado spent most of the decade in Spain, playing for four clubs, most notably Sevilla. Since 2005 Torrado has been a member of Mexican side Cruz Azul and has led the club to two league finals in that span.

Pavel Pardo

A veteran of the 1998 World Cup, the decade did not start off in grand manner for Pardo and his national team aspirations. Javier Aguirre dropped Pardo from the team when he took over in July 2001, and Pardo missed out on the 2002 World Cup. However, he led America to glory, helping las Aguilas win the Clausura 2002 league title while the national team was already in Japan. Pardo, though, recovered nicely for El Tri and was a standout once again by the 2006 World Cup. He made a shock move to Bundesliga side Stuttgart and quickly became a fan favorite. Pardo sent in a corner kick to Tomas Hitzlsperger, whose subsequent goal helped Stuttgart win the Bundesliga title.

Gabriel Caballero

An Argentine by birth, Caballero gained his Mexican citizenship in 2002 and was promptly included on the national team by former club manager Javier Aguirre. Caballero was on El Tri’s 2002 World Cup side but has gained more fame in Mexico for his league accomplishments as he is one of the most successful league players in the last decade. Caballero has been on all four of Pachuca’s Mexican league championship teams and has helped los Tuzos to international success as well (Copa Sudamericana 2006, CONCACAF Champions League 2007, SuperLiga 2007).

Cuauhtemoc Blanco

A Mexican icon for all times, Blanco began to build to his legend when he helped resuscitate a near-dead Mexico squad during the 2001 Hexagonal. Blanco scored four goals in five games down the stretch and helped Mexico qualify for the 2002 World Cup by bagging a brace in the Hexagonal finale, a 3-0 win over Honduras. Blanco also helped America win the Clausura 2005 league title and his multimillion-dollar move to Chicago Fire helped the MLS club become one of the best-supported teams in the league. Blanco has done so well for the Fire that he has been named as a better acquisition than David Beckham.

Jared Borgetti

Undoubtedly one of Mexico’s top performers for both club and country throughout the decade, Borgetti helped Mexico succeed in several crucial matches. Borgetti did what he did best in many important games as he scored goals in World Cup qualifying, in the World Cup, Confederations Cup, Gold Cup, Copa America and numerous friendlies. Borgetti shattered previous goal-scoring marks and has 46 goals for Mexico, an all-time record. For league, Borgetti was just one of two Mexicans to lead the domestic league in scoring, and translated his scoring skills into a move abroad as he became the first Mexican to ever play in the English Premier League when he joined Bolton in 2005.

Omar Bravo

Constantly criticized throughout the decade for his lack of scoring in big games for the national team, Bravo nevertheless scored two goals in the 2006 World Cup and parlayed that as well as league success into a move to Deportivo la Coruña. Bravo finished his career with Guadalajara having scored 101 all-time goals, second in the team’s storied history. Bravo also helped Chivas win the Apertura 2006 championship, the team’s first title in nearly a decade. With the national team, Bravo had his moments aside from the World Cup triumph. He scored against Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying in 2009, a strike that helped restore faith in the team and helped give Mexico a much-needed three points as El Tri fight for a spot in South Africa 2010. 
 

Sanchez

Osorio - Marquez - Salcido
 

Pardo - Torrado - Caballero - Morales

Blanco

 

Do you agree with those who made it into Mexico's Team of the Decade 2000-2010? What would be your XI? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think. 

Luis Bueno