Tag: diego cocca

Cocca fired as Mexico head coach after nightmare loss to USMNT

A 3-0 defeat against its biggest rival was too much to bear for Mexico’s federation

After just over four months in charge, Diego Cocca has been fired as Mexico men’s national team head coach.

Cocca’s entire staff was also let go, as was national team director Rodrigo Ares de Parga.

Jaime Lozano has been named interim manager and will be in charge for the Gold Cup, which kicks off later this month.

The final straw for Mexico’s federation was an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to the United States in Thursday’s CONCACAF Nations League semifinal. Mexico turned in a poor performance that was also blighted by indiscipline, as two El Tri players were red carded and several were involved in melees with USMNT players.

“We can lose a game against the United States. The risk always exists because this is football and winning can go either way. What is not acceptable is the way it happened,” said Mexican federation president Juan Carlos Rodríguez in a video explaining the decision.

“We gave up the chance to win from the beginning starting with logistical decisions that caused friction within the group. In the end we didn’t just lose the game, we also lost the ability to react, leadership inside and outside the field, control of emotions, and the sense of behaving with professionalism.”

“It would be natural to wait until after the Gold Cup, but today we don’t have time to waste,” Rodríguez added.

Cocca won just three of his seven games in charge after leaving Tigres to take on the El Tri job in February.

His final game at the helm was on Sunday, a 1-0 win over Panama in the Nations League third-place game.

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Cocca gives update on Mexico’s pursuit of USMNT-eligible Zendejas

The new Mexico boss wants the winger with El Tri — but he was nowhere to be found on his first roster

Mexico head coach Diego Cocca has said he’s actively looking to recruit Alejandro Zendejas — but the U.S.-eligible winger was not on his first roster after taking over El Tri.

Cocca, who was named Tata Martino’s successor last month, named a 34-player roster for Mexico’s Nations League matches against Suriname on March 23, and against Jamaica three days later.

Zendejas, who was born in Mexico and raised in the United States, played in two friendlies with Mexico’s senior national team after representing the U.S. at the youth level.

After a FIFA investigation, Mexico was forced to forfeit both of those matches because Zendejas never filed the one-time switch he would have needed to be eligible to play for El Tri.

The Club América winger received his first senior call for the USMNT in January, and he impressed in his debut against Serbia. The 25-year-old made it clear, however, that he had yet to decide his international future.

Speaking at a press conference after his roster was revealed on Thursday, Cocca said he is hoping to convince Zendejas to join Mexico but believes the winger still needs time to make his decision.

“I’ve spoken with [Zendejas] personally two times,” Cocca said. “First, I wanted to tell him that our intention is to have him with us. And second, I wanted to make clear that today he is not eligible because he has to sign a document to be with the Mexico national team. It’s his decision and we’ll give him time to make his decision.”

Zendejas not being on Mexico’s roster can be seen as a win for the USMNT, as his presence would have permanently tied him to Mexico. Should Zendejas be called up and play for the USMNT in its Nations League matches in March, he’d be permanently tied to the U.S.

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Diego Cocca se despide como DT de Atlas con homenaje en el Jalisco

El entrenador más grande de la historia del Atlas se despidió del equipo donde lo ganó todo, lo hizo derrotando al Necaxa como local

El entrenador más grande de la historia del Atlas se despidió del equipo donde lo ganó todo, lo hizo derrotando al Necaxa como local en el último partido del Apertura 2022 y se llevó un merecido homenaje de la hinchada rojinegra.

El argentino Diego Cocca dijo adiós a la afición rojnegra que abarrotó el Jalisco para darle una cálida despedida al estratega que ganó tres títulos con la institución, incluyendo un bicampeonato histórico.

“Desde donde esté voy a querer que le vaya bien a Atlas. Tenemos un gran vínculo. Arriba el Atlas Cabrones”, dijo Diego Cocca en su despedida.

De inmediato las muestras e afecto se hicieron ver en el estadio con mantas que recordaban los títulos conseguidos y pancartas con mensajes de todo tipo demostrando el cariño que la afición le guarda al técnico que se despidió de manera muy distinta a como suelen irse los técnicos de los equipos que los despiden.

Foto ESPECIAL

Cocca se retira de Atlas con y 46 por ciento de efectividad en 97 partidos disputados entre Liga MX, Campeón de Campeones y Campeones Cup, pero fue esta última temporada la que terminó por concluir la relación entre ambas entidades pues el Atlas quedó eliminado de manera prematura en el torneo con solo 13 puntos cosechados cerrando el torneo como el penúltimo lugar de la tabla.

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Para Diego Cocca, Atlas dio un “golpe de autoridad” ante Chivas

La serie sigue abierta pese al triunfo de Atlas en calidad de visitante, las Chivas necesitan dos goles para avanzar

Los campeones rojinegros del Atlas lograron una importante victoria por 1-2 en la casa de las Chivas para tomar ventaja en la serie de cuartos de final de la liguilla de la Liga MX.

El equipo de Diego Cocca supo dominar a su acérrimo rival con buen futbol y a decir de su estratega ya se les hizo costumbre el visitar a Chivas y llevarse la victoria, la de anoche un “golpe de autoridad”.

“Volvimos a ganar en este estadio, dos veces seguidas. Nos estamos acostumbrando a venir a disputar partido, no a venir a ver que pasa o a venir a perder. Hoy fue un golpe de autoridad por la forma. Si bien estuvo parejo, en líneas generales fuimos superiores”, declaró Cocca tras el 1-2 en el Akron.

Para el estratega la actitud de su equipo fue clave para contrarrestar a un equipo muy motivado con una seguidilla de triunfos importantes y jugadores desequilibrantes, pero sus hombres hicieron un gran trabajo especialmente Jeremy Márquez, autor del doblete del Atlas en el estadio de Chivas.

“Él ha hecho un trabajo muy fuerte, creció masa muscular. Hoy es un jugador que llega al área rival, que se mete ante los centrales, es un jugador completo. Es indiscutible la personalidad y el talento”.  declaró Cocca.

La serie sigue abierta pese al triunfo de Atlas en calidad de visitante, las Chivas necesitan dos goles para avanzar y no recibir goles en el Jalisco, por lo que Atlas respetará al rival y encarará el compromiso sin confianza excesiva.

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