Mexico national coach Miguel Herrera fighting against odds in search for stability

Mexico national team coach Miguel Herrera sat inside an Arrowhead Stadium meeting room Monday afternoon, and for the next 20 minutes, he used the forum as something of a mixture between a press conference and open-mic night.

A man known for his expressive personality on the sideline — which created internet memes by the dozens in the 2014 World Cup — was jovial, quick-witted and, perhaps most notably, comfortable.

The latter has been a rarity among Mexican managers over the past five decades. And with good reason.

Herrera is attempting to become the first Mexican coach to lead the country in back-to-back World Cups since Ignacio Tréllez accomplished the feat in 1962 and 1966.

For Herrera, who coached Mexico to the Round of 16 in Brazil last summer, the journey toward a second opportunity continues Tuesday, when Mexico faces Paraguay at 8 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium in an international friendly.

"We lack stability," said John Sutcliffe, an ESPN reporter who has covered the team since 1994. "It's a billion-dollar business when Mexico is in the World Cup. So when the owners get a little nervous, they usually yank whoever's there."

Nobody is more aware of this than Herrera, of course, who was hired last summer at the eleventh hour, a move based more on necessity than Herrera topping anyone's list of candidates.

When he took over the national team in October 2013, he was the country's fourth coach in a month. His first assignment? An aggregate series against New Zealand, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.

No pressure.

Mexico won the series, qualified for the World Cup and reached the knockout stage, where it lost 2-1 to the Netherlands, the eventual third-place finisher.

That earned Herrera a bit of job security — at least for the time being. But if he's worried about that topic — and the historical data that suggests he's fighting an uphill battle — he certainly doesn't show it.

"I just try to focus on my job," Herrera said Monday through an interpreter. "And let the rest take care of itself."

The worry-free, demonstrative personality has made Herrera a well-liked figure in Mexico. Earlier this month, a wax statue of him was unveiled at a museum in Mexico City, the country's capital.

That's about as solid as job security gets in his position.

"He has it perfect," Sutcliffe said. "He qualified Mexico in the World Cup. He had a good World Cup. At the end of the day, he's a hard worker, he knows what he's talking about and he has a great understanding of the media, which always helps."

His job has taken on more responsibility since the World Cup. The one-dimensional focus when he was hired — qualify for the World Cup and worry about the rest later — has shifted into a multitude of competitions in 2015.

Mexico will play in Copa America in June in Chile before competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July here in the United States.

Herrera will use a different 23-man roster for each competition, which places a heavier importance on Tuesday's friendly in Kansas City. Mexico isn't expected to field its A-team starting lineup at Arrowhead Stadium, but rather offer players an opportunity to earn a roster spot for the Gold Cup or Copa America.

Either way, the objective never changes, said Hector Gonzalez Inarritu, Mexico's director for the national team, who summed up Herrera's position rather bluntly Monday.

"We have high expectations for this team," he said. "We expect to win. Always."

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Mexico national coach Miguel Herrera fighting against odds in search for stability."