Hector Herrera hopeful for third FIFA World Cup with Mexico, could return to play after FIFA break

Hector Herrera hasn't just visualized himself as part of Mexico's squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He expects to be in Qatar in two months, representing his country at soccer's biggest tournament, and he's telling El Tri fans to dream big.

The mood around the Mexican men's national team, from media and fans, is the usual pre-World Cup pessimism about whether it can get to the elusive "fifth game" for the first time since 1986. Better yet, will the team even make it out of Group C against Argentina, Poland, and Saudi Arabia?

"I think that what has been said lately about the national team, that it is not going through a good moment or that it is not what people expect," Herrera said early during his session at the national team's media day on Tuesday night. "In the previous qualifiers, we had a very good qualification and then we went to the World Cup and we did it very well until we were eliminated." 

"When you get to the World Cup, the motivation, the illusion, the passion, the commitment, the responsibility, the devotion grows," Herrera added. "You don't play a World Cup every month or every year and that's when all the players and the national teams get excited and want to transcend." 

The Mexican national team has convened in Los Angeles ahead of Saturday's friendly against Peru at the Rose Bowl. The team will then shift upstate to the Bay Area for a match against Colombia on Tuesday in what will conclude the send-off series prior to November's World Cup.

The team will have two friendlies in Girona, Spain in early November, against Iraq and Sweden, before arriving in Doha. The 2022 tournament will mark Mexico's eighth consecutive participation and 17th overall in the global contest. 

Sidelined momentarily

Herrera was called up by head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino to check in for the final FIFA international break before Qatar 2022. The Dynamo FC midfielder arrived in Los Angeles on Monday night and could be back in Houston as soon as Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been sidelined due to injury for over a month. His last MLS appearance came on August 20 in a 1-1 draw with Colorado Rapids and has trained individually at Houston Sports Park throughout the past couple of weeks.

"I'm doing well," Herrera said on his current state. "I hope that when I come back from this FIFA date, I can participate with my team. Obviously, that's why I'm here too, to continue my recovery, to be able to be with the group. It is difficult because you want to be here, you want to participate, you want to play, you want to show yourself and it is difficult just to come for treatment and to train a little bit."

Listed on the MLS injury report only as a right leg injury, TUDN reporter Gibrán Araige elaborated on Herrera's condition after speaking with the player. An ankle injury, due to poor foot support, has turned into discomfort on the back part of his thigh.

Herrera appeared in eight consecutive matches for Houston following his MLS debut on July 9. The injury caused his first absence on August 27 and, after initially reported to be out for one game, has resulted in six absences but, as the Dynamo steered closer to elimination from playoff contention, it appears the midfielder's lack of playing time was a precaution to assure his participation in Qatar.

"I am calm. The injury is nothing serious," Herrera said. "It is an injury that I did not want to risk so that it could turn serious. In physical condition, I think I am fine. I think that when I was playing I felt good, physically. I was strong. One thing is the results as a team, another thing is the physical condition of each player."

"It is true that, in my team, we have not had the best results, the best campaign, but at the end of the day the main objective was to have rhythm, to have minutes, which is what I was having, but I did not count on the fact that I was going to have an injury," added Herrera. "I can tell you that now I am not in my best moment or in my best rhythm, because I have not played for a month and a half and I have been a little bit stopped, but it is a little bit stopped so that the injury does not get worse. But personally, I am calm. There is still a lot of time to train and work hard to arrive in the best way."

The Dynamo have two remaining matches, at Nashville SC on October 2 and against LA Galaxy on October 9, to end its 2022 season. Herrera's participation, or lack thereof, could be more telling about the severity of his injury.

Third World Cup on the horizon

Considering a successful recovery, Herrera is as close to a lock on the final roster due to his stature on the team, experience, and ability. It was just last December that Martino referred to him as the most talented Mexican player.

Therefore, barring an unforeseen event, HH is on tap to play in a third consecutive World Cup. In his words, it's a feeling that never gets old. 

"Personally, I feel very good, very excited to be able to play my third World Cup," Herrera said. "Many times people think that when you have already played in a World Cup it doesn't excite you in the same way. No, I have always said that the phases of life are different. When I played my first World Cup, I was younger than I thought I was more dynamic...Today I believe that I am more experienced, I am more mature, I have more confidence in myself and I think that is very important for my game and obviously to be able to help the national team."

While he feels up to the challenge, Herrera has also received criticism for his choice to play in Major League Soccer in the months prior to the World Cup instead of trying to maintain the level he was enjoying at Atletico Madrid. A stay in Europe was the preferred move by fans who want to see as many Mexican players arrive tested at the highest level.

The topic of his age, and now his durability, have brought up the conversation about who could fare better from the younger crop of players in his position. It has also brought up the question of if this World Cup signals the end of his national team career.

"Y'all want to retire me?" Herrera responded jokingly when asked about his future with the national team. "I have always said that I will always be for the national team, as long as I feel that I am useful, that I can give my best, that I can support in a good way. The important thing now is the World Cup ahead of us and then we will think about what the plan is for everyone and obviously for me."

"When I see that I cannot give my best, when I don't feel comfortable or when I don't feel good, I will be the first to raise my hand," Herrera added on the topic a few questions later. "I think that in the national teams there are always new generations and it is important, isn't it? The truth is that it will also depend on the people who are there at the time. What is the idea? What is the new generation that they want to have."

Can Mexico make a run at the trophy?

Herrera is no stranger to making history with the Mexican national team. He was part of the squad that obtained the country's first Olympic gold medal in soccer at the London 2012 edition. 

A move to Europe with Porto, and later Atletico Madrid, led him to become the Mexican with the most UEFA Champions League appearances. When asked what his message for fans was ahead of the following World Cup, his response was essentially to dream big.

"That they get their hopes up, that they enjoy it," Herrera said. "Like them, we always want the best for Mexico. I am the first one who is a fan of the national team because I grew up watching it and I play soccer because the illusion was to be able to play in the national team. That they enjoy, support 100%, that we are going to give our lives, if possible, for our country, for our jersey and I believe that the only way to make history is together."

"They are an important part for the national team," added Herrera about the fans. "For us, the encouragement they give us is always extra fuel for us. We are counting on them with their 100% support because they have proven a thousand times that they are the best when they want to be."

Mexico begins its 2022 campaign on November 22 against Robert Lewandowski's Poland at Stadium 974 in Doha. Its next two matches of the group stage come at the Lusail Stadium against Argentina on the 26th and Saudi Arabia on the 30th.

As it always is at this event, Mexico is expected to have one of the best support from traveling fans. Having that advantage in the stands is something HH looks forward to for extra motivation.

"In the World Cup, we have always shown it," said Herrera. "We are always one of the countries with the most fans and the most to talk about. We work for ourselves, for the people who want to be with us, for the people who are always with us, like our family, like the thousands of fans who are always 100% with us, and those who are not with us will be. Always during the World Cup, it changes and people want to see the national team win and want the best for Mexico, as we also want."

Of course, heartbreak has been part of Mexico's World Cup attempts. Despite advancing out of the group stage in the past seven editions, El Tri has also bounced out of the tournament in the Round of 16 in all those attempts.

Whether it was the dos a cero loss to the Concacaf rival U.S. in 2002, back-to-back eliminations to Argentina in 2006 and 2010 or the controversial no era penal (it wasn't a penalty) against the Netherlands in 2014, something always denying Mexico a trip to the quarterfinals when the nation has participated in the World Cup on foreign soil. Some have deemed it a sports curse but Herrera says it's all about dominating the mental aspect of the game.

"The desire to transcend, to make history with Mexico is always there," said Herrera. "There are situations in the matches that may not depend on you, as has happened in previous World Cups. I think we have to go with a very strong mentality and a very strong motivation that we can transcend and make history."

"In the last World Cup, I think we lacked a little more mentality," said Herrera of Mexico who finished second in its group. "I wouldn't be able to tell you what is the turning point that, if we do this, the story would change. If I knew it, I would say it right now. But I do have it clear that the people in the group are motivated, they are excited, they want to make history. They want to transcend. We want to and I believe that as a country, we want it too, and I believe that the only way to do it is to be together and fight like brothers."