When the ball hit the net, Miguel Herrera knew his side would see it through. Rafa Marquez flicked a corner goalwards for Javier Hernandez to head Mexico 3-0 up against Croatia. It left them on the cusp of a knockout-phase place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
A jubilant Herrera jumped up and down, before embracing his coaching staff in a scene of touchline celebration. Paul Aguilar joined in on the fun and charged at his coach, with the defender’s force knocking the pair to the ground. Herrera quickly returned to his feet and punched the air in delight, only to be met by the equally large presence of Memo Ochoa. The pair stayed upright and shared a hug, with Herrera sending one final punch into the air to cap off a commemoration for the ages.
It wasn’t an isolated reaction, nor was it a freak outburst. It was customary of a coach who managed to instil some of his own intense, fast-paced, aggressive personality into his national team.
Mexico went into Brazil 2014 with a talented squad at the peak of their powers. Marquez, at 35, was one of the older players in the side, but Andres Guardado, Miguel Layun, Memo Ochoa and Oribe Peralta, among others, were also in their prime.
Mexico, as had long been the case, went into the tournament with the aim of reaching the last eight. The task at hand was complicated when they were drawn alongside hosts Brazil, Cameroon and Croatia.
Their first match couldn’t have gone much better, with a 1-0 victory over the Africans. In their second, Mexico produced one of their best World Cup performances, with Ochoa stealing the show. He thwarted the attacks of Neymar and Co to earn El Tri an unlikely 0-0 draw. In their final Group A encounter, Mexico came up trumps once again, bagging three late goals in a 3-1 win.
“I absolutely love football,” Herrera said following the game. “It’s always important not to lose that passion for what you love doing. I love feeling on top of the world and showing my true character by celebrating my team’s victories, whereas others don’t. Everyone is different, but as long as we don’t celebrate in a way that is considered to be making fun of anyone then I’ll continue to act like this.”
Mexico went on to lose 2-1 to the Netherlands in the last 16, despite leading for much of the game. It was a defeat that denied them their dream of reaching the famous fifth match of the tournament, something they have failed to do since their adventure in 1986.
A tough cookie and known for being the type of guy that so many Mexicans identified with, Herrera rode the wave of excitement with his celebrations. Shortly after their win over Croatia, he wrote on his Twitter account: “I’m on cloud nine, how are the rest of you feeling? Post a photo of you celebrating with the hashtag #PiojoFestejo.”
His tweet was inundated with replies. Everyone was talking about ‘El Piojo’ (‘The Louse’) and his celebration, with his touchline moves going down in the annals of World Cup history.
