Funes Mori scores important goals in Dallas, but not how anyone would've expected

Who would’ve thought it would happen like this?

He stood out on the fields of Arlington, so Rogelio Funes Mori felt destined to score important goals in Dallas.

But… for Mexico? At… the Cotton Bowl?

Soccer is funny that way.

More than a decade after that high school career, long after winning reality show Sueño MLS and then decamping to join River Plate in the country of his birth, Funes Mori scored a pair of goals Wednesday to help the Mexico national team to a 3-0 victory over Guatemala at the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday.

"I’m very happy. I’ve worked to be here. I chose to be here. They gave me an opportunity, I’m taking advantage of it and I’m very excited and happy, ready to keep growing as a player and a professional," Funes Mori said after the match. "I think the responsibility is there and I’m going to keep doing things well."

After years and years playing in Liga MX, Funes Mori became eligible for Mexican citizenship and suited up for El Tri for the first time earlier this month. The decision hasn't been received warmly in all quarters, with Mexico manager Tata Martino saying he feels there always will be an extra sharp focus on the forward.

"The truth is I feel that what happens with him is going to have an analysis here that never will end," Martino said. "Every game will be an analysis of him, beyond what I understand, which is if the decision helps or hurt the national team. I understand there are opinions against naturalizing soccer players, but I look at what the player can bring from a football perspective."

However Mexico fans felt about ‘how Mexican’ Funes Mori is was somewhat irrelevant. With Raul Jimenez injured and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez being kept out of the national team, Mexico needed a central forward.

Funes Mori is that and more, which he showed Wednesday, scoring for Mexico for the second and third time.

The forward opened the scoring with a lovely bit of individual brilliance, bringing down a long ball forward from Hector Herrera with his chest, then chopping from his left foot to his right to beat his defender. From there he put some curl on the ball to beat Guatemala goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen, who despite the scoreline was next to impossible to beat Wednesday night.

Funes Mori did it a second time, though, putting his laces through a bouncing ball sent toward him by Orbelin Pineda in the box and guaranteeing Mexico would get all three points for the first time this tournament.

Before the match, Tata Martino spoke about how important Funes Mori is to El Tri right now. While Alan Pulido made a late cameo, he’s still recovering from an injury suffered with his club and isn’t fully fit. There are no other central forwards on the roster and option C, winger Hirving Lozano, is out of the tournament with a head and neck injury suffered against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.

Funes Mori knows he needs to pick up the slack, and he’s not only getting into the right places to do so but also starting to show the signs of understanding what his new teammates are looking for him to do. Whether it’s Jesus “Tecatito” Corona looking for a one-two in tight spaces or Herrera waiting for the forward to leak out so he can send a soaring ball over the top, Funes Mori is building the necessary chemistry to be a key player for the national team.

Making his senior national team debut at age 30, it's difficult to imagine Funes Mori being part of the Mexico setup long-term, but even with a healthy Jimenez, Funes Mori certainly could compete for opportunities to make the roster for Qatar 2022.

No one in Dallas 15 years ago would've expected to see Funes Mori finding the back of the net for Mexico at the Cotton Bowl, so inclusion on the 23-man squad for the most important tournament may not be as difficult as it seems.

For now, he'll stay focused on helping Mexico get out of the group — a task not yet completed — as it seeks to defend its Gold Cup crown. 

No one would've thought this is how Funes Mori would be scoring his goals in Dallas, but now, with Mexico returning to the Cotton Bowl on Sunday for its match with El Salvador, it would perhaps be more surprising if he didn't find the back of the net.