Time and again the Mexican League has thrown in a couple of outstanding talents into the world of football. About a decade ago, there was the emergence of Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado, two household names of Mexican football. A few years later, arguably the best Mexican forward of recent times, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez made his mark in world football. A couple of years later the versatile left back Miguel Layun announced his name to the world. In 2016, another promising youngster from Mexico is set to announce himself to the world. He goes by the name Hirving Lozano.
Background:
Style of Play:
Lozano is a central attacking midfielder by trade. His style of play has been compared to the likes of Phillipe Coutinho. The Mexican loves to have possession of the ball and with his blistering pace and tremendous dribbling abilities, Lozano scoots past his opponents in no time.
He thrives on assisting his fellow forwards, in a U-20 game against Cuba in which Lozano had assisted four goals and scored twice in a 9-1 win. He also won the golden boot in the 2015 CONCACAF tournament. Lozano is a right footed player and loves to cut in from the left and deliver crosses into the box. He is extremely versatile, and on occasion, he has operated as a striker and winger for his club, Pachuca. Lozano netted 12 goals for his club in the 2015-16 season.
Strengths:
A fast, agile and versatile attacking midfielder, Lozano uses these traits to create havoc in the opponent’s area. His calmness in front of goal often defies his young age. Watching him play is reminiscent of a certain Eric Cantona and only time will tell whether Lozano can match the Frenchman’s greatness, but he is certainly on the right path. Standing at 177 cm (5 ft 8 inches), Lozano is part of Eden Hazard and Leo Messi’s category; small, but can definitely pack a punch!
Weaknesses:
While he has great attacking attributes, there are certain obvious flaws which cannot be ignored. There are times when Lozano tends to be a tad selfish and loses the ball prematurely. He is lazy at tracking back and rarely performs his defensive duties.
One of the biggest attributes that determine a difference between a good player and a great player is his ability to make the right decision at the right time and unfortunately for Lozano, he tends to remind people that he is just a 20-year-old kid. He has made a few wrong decisions which have cost his team dearly on more than a few occasions but as time goes by, Lozano will gain more maturity and (maybe) one fine day, he will improve and become a better player .
Quotes:
"His speed and ability to go past opponents will take him far. Lozano has a great desire to learn with the national team. His strength is that he is a very low-key, low profile, very down to earth person and I think will go very far. Not only is he a very good player with the potential to be an outstanding player, he is also a very good human being." Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio gives him a ringing endorsement. (Souce: Sky News)
Would Lozano fit in at Manchester United?
With Juan Mata nearing a move to Everton, Memphis Depay struggling under Louis Van Gaal and Ashley Young settled as an attacking full back, Lozano would be a perfect deputy for Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan. With the former playing most of the Premier League and Champions League games for the English giants, Lozano would be a handy option to play in the FA Cup and other tournaments. Mourinho is an admirer of midfielders with plenty of pace and creative guile. Hence, Lozano could get plenty of opportunities to shine at Old-Trafford.
