Mexico Interested in Bringing in another Hired Gun

January 6th, 2006 | by: WC Bob | Comments Off

There’s controversy brewing in Mexico where national team coach Ricardo La Volpe is keen on having Argentine-born midfielder Walter Gaitan on his team this summer in Germany.

If Gaitan ends up on the roster for the Tricolores he will be the third naturalized player on the team, a fact that isn’t sitting too well with many in Mexico.

La Volpe likes the goal scoring potential of Gaitan, but I really question whether he should make this move. Not because I think it is wrong for teams to utilize naturalized players (although it is a bit sketchy), but rather because he already has a solid midfielder in Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

While he is prone to picking up cards and has never been a personal favorite of mine, Blanco does have talent. I don’t see how Gaitan, a player who wouldn’t come close to making Argentina’s team, could add more value. If anything, his presence will be a distraction and could create an unnecessary riff on the team.