Top Mexico U-17 Champions busts
Expectations and pressure are high for the current Mexico U-17 National Football Team. Mexico has won the U-17 World Cup twice in the past iterations, 2005 and 2011. Both championships had a few players who have made a name for themselves both at the club and international level, Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos, Antonio Briseño, and Hector Moreno. The rest left us scratching our heads and wondering what happened to them?
Top bust from past U-17 Champions:
Ever Guzman, 2005
Ever Guzman made a name for himself as the super-sub during the 2005 campaign. Guzman played for Monarcas Morelia during this time and was a vital piece during the historic run. Ever tallied four goals during the tournament, including the final goal in the championship against Brazil. After the U-17 World Cup, several expected a bright future for super-sub; unfortunately, his career took a downslide. After an extended stay with Morelia (2004-2017), he has been put on loan with six different teams over the years. Currently, he plays for the USL side, San Antonio FC.
Julio “La Momia” Gomez, 2011
One of the best goals in U-17 World Cup history came from Julio “La Momia” Gómez. During the 2011 semi-finals against Germany, Gómez sustained a head injury that resulted in his head being bandaged like a mummy, origins of his nickname. In the final minutes of the match, La Momia scored the winning goal for the young Aztecas, via a scissor kick. Gómez fell from grace after the U-17 World Cup thanks to injuries and lack of form. He has been a journeyman playing for various teams in lower Mexican divisions. He currently plays for Loros de la Universidad de Colima in Lega Ascenso.
Marco Bueno, 2011
The future looked bright for striker Marco Bueno who started in every game during the 2011 U-17 World Cup and was even rumored to be on the radar of Premier League giant Liverpool. Unfortunately for the player, he could not accumulate minutes and played for 6 Liga MX teams in six years. He is currently playing for Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi in the Findland Veikkausliiga League.
Cesar Villaluz, 2005
This fast and dynamic player looked to have a bright future after the 2005 U-17 World Cup along with his teammates Carlos Vela and Giovani dos Santos. He had an integral role in Cruz Azul’s title runs in both Clausura and Apertura 2008. He also played for the Senior Mexico National team during this time and accumulated two goals. A controversial play that changed the fate of La Maquina and Villaluz came in the final minutes of the Apertura against Toluca. Toluca’s José Manuel Cruzalta violently crashed into Villaluz inside the penalty box that was not called by the referee. Cesar left the match with an injury and was never the same after that play. He bounced from team to team in Liga MX, looking for minutes and permanent home. Currently, he plays for Guatemala based Deportivo San Pedro.
Jonathan Espericueta, 2011
A talented and rising star, Jonathan Espericueta, set the world on fire after he bent the ball off a corner kick during the semi-final against Germany. The young Azteca’s Olympic style goal helped his team tie the game and set the stage for La Momia Gómez for the game-winning scissor kick on the next set play. Espericueta went overseas on loan to Villareal B for one year but did not impress. Jonathan is currently on loan to Puebla but plays little-to-no minutes.
Carlos Fiero, 2011
The goal phenom looked to climb his way to the Senior National squad after his four goals in seven appearances with the U-17 team. Fiero played valuable minutes for various top tier Liga MX teams but to impress the Senior Mexican National Skippers. He has been good enough to play at the club level but has seen a down slop as of late. He currently plays for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes.
Patricio “El Pato” Araujo- 2005
Araujo is the only player on the list that won both the U-17 World Cup and a Liga MX title. The captain of the young Aztecas saw early success with Chivas after winning the youth world title by winning the Liga MX Apertura 2006 title. Araujo quickly found himself fighting for playing time with Chivas and was moved to Puebla suffering the same fate. He made a few appearances with the Senior Mexican squad with little-to-no minutes. He currently plays for Celaya Fútbol Club in Liga Ascenso.
It’s probably safe to say that none of these stars will ever amount to superstardom; however, some of these players, particularly the 2011 winners, are still relatively young. It will be interesting to see if any of these players can turn their careers around.
The new generation of young players is currently struggling in Brazil. There’s a chance they won’t make it past the first round, but maybe, it will be for the best, as the pressure that comes with winning a U-17 World Cup quantifies immensely. And some players are just not able to live up to the hype.
