Honduras v Mexico: Moreno´s injury may force Mexican rethink pre-Gold Cup

Mexico coach Miguel Herrera may look to test a 4-4-2 formation in their friendly against Honduras, with defender Hector Moreno ruled out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In an attempt to accommodate Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez and Giovani dos Santos, Herrera set Mexico up in a 5-2-3 formation versus Costa Rica last week, but his team were overrun in the first half to trail 2-0 at the break.

Herrera withdrew Moreno, who hurt his right foot, and Vela at half-time in Orlando, bringing on midfielders Carlos Esquivel and Jose Vazquez, and those changes made Mexico more effective as Dos Santos and Hernandez scored to secure a 2-2 draw.

With Mexico confirming Moreno needs surgery and will miss the upcoming Gold Cup, Herrera may abandon plans to play three central defenders.

The 47-year-old coach’s final chance for experimentation before the continental championships, which start on July 7, will come on Wednesday in Houston.

“I liked the second half a lot. I liked how the team worked, and if we need to play with a back four, we’ve tested it,” Herrera said after the draw with Costa Rica.

“The key is to look for the best way to make the team work and to see how we can do opponents damage.”

Herrera has seen his team go six matches without a win heading into Mexico’s final pre-Gold Cup friendly, although three of those games came at the Copa America, where he had a completely different squad.

By comparison, Honduras’ form is more inconsistent.

Jorge Luis Pinto’s team have one win, one draw and a loss since they qualified for the Gold Cup in March, with their most recent fixture ending in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil on June 10.

Honduras will no doubt be looking for a strong performance against Herrera’s men, as they prepare to open the Gold Cup against co-hosts and reigning champions United States.