Rafa Ramos Blog: Mexico Survives, Gil Mora Survives
The recent victory over Morocco has ignited a fervent hope within Mexican football, largely centered around the emergence of 16-year-old Gil Mora. While the enthusiasm is understandable, a measured viewpoint is crucial. The outpouring of praise, comparing him to legends like Iniesta and Xavi, feels premature, even bordering on detrimental. Some have even resorted to the diminutive “gilito,” a sign of how quickly credibility can be eroded by hyperbole.
Agent Pimenta, in a bold statement to reporter Oswaldo Vázquez, asserted, “You put this boy tomorrow in a Champions League champion and he plays.” This conviction stands apart; the preceding effusive comparisons feel like copper to PimentaS silver.
Against Morocco,Gil Mora demonstrably stood out within the team,fulfilling the tactical obligations instilled by coach Eduardo Arce: marking,pressing,recovering possession,and,fundamentally,playing football. And playing football is an innate expression of Gil Mora. He will undoubtedly require guidance and growth, but the core talent is evident. However, at 16, his future rests more with his surrounding surroundings than with his own agency – a blessed circumstance, as it appears he is currently shielded from exploitative influences.
As Spanish novelist Miqui Otero writes, “There are those who think that the child is an adult project, others think that the adult is what remains of the child.” The question for Gil Mora is whether he will be molded as an “adult project” or allowed to develop organically, retaining the essence of his youthful play. Time will tell, but without excessive fanfare, unrealistic expectations, or imposed destinies. Comparisons to Pedri, Iniesta, Xavi, or any pre-determined “DNA” are unhelpful, save for Pimenta’s confident prediction: “You put this boy tomorrow in a Champions League champion and he plays.”
Javier Aguirre and Rafa Márquez, keenly aware of the pitfalls of premature party, likely observe the situation with caution.They understand that for Mora, the present began only yesterday.
The euphoria among Mexican fans is understandable. Since the eras of hugo Sánchez and Rafa Márquez, no player has generated such a potent sense of possibility.Though, past experiences have been marked by “clandestine abortions of inconsistency: Chicharito, Giovani, Salcido and…telling…” – a history of unfulfilled potential.
This cyclical pattern of hope followed by disappointment, experienced every four years, fuels the current desire to latch onto Mora. A nation accustomed to managing disappointment seeks, at least temporarily, to center its hopes on this young player, who currently might still need to ask permission to use change when sent to buy tortillas in Tijuana.
The transition to adulthood and the demands of professional football will undoubtedly test him, moving him from the stadiums of Chile to the pressures of the Tijuana environment. The final stage of development is yet to come.
Ultimately, the victory over Morocco is positive not just for Mexico’s continued participation, but as both Mexico and Gil Mora have survived. Amen.
