Two nations chasing World Cup glory will do battle today in a match between Mexico and Cameroon. The 2014 World Cup group-stage match scheduled for 12 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio Das Dunas in Natal and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
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After watching Brazil capture a controversial 3-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday, the pressure for Cameroon and Mexico to follow suit is on. Both sides enter today's match with an opportunity to land alongside the host nation, but that won't be enough for Mexico head coach Miguel Herrera. For El Piojo, the goal is to finish alongside Brazil in a historical context.
"I've always tried to make my teams very dynamic and, of course, always look for the opposition's goal. We're convinced about attacking with 11 and defending with 11," Herrera said (via the Guardian). "From the outset, we have to visualize the idea that we can reach the final. The history of our football doesn't back up my words, but we have a good team and a great infrastructure in Mexico," he added.
"We just lack the mentality to set ourselves those goals."
"It's not that I'm being a conformist—I'd like to be world champion—but you have to have the conviction of achieving an important goal and then advancing. If we get to that [fifth] game, it means we knocked out two important teams in the group stage, as well as a strong team that could be Spain, Holland [or] Chile."
"After that, you see who you get in the quarterfinal."
Will Mexico take a proper first step toward its goal with a victory over Cameroon this afternoon? Tell us @SportsWN
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: The battle for Oribe Peralta's striker partner has been won, but not by the favored Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez. Instead, the Mexican reins have been given to Giovani dos Santos. The 25-year-old made 31 league appearances for Villarreal last season, contributing 11 goals and eight assists. His nose for goal isn't as prolific as Hernandez's, but his ability to create chances is. Hernandez only averaged 0.5 key passes per match for Manchester United, this compared to dos Santos' 1.5 for Villarreal.
Mexico's Projected Lineup (5-3-2): Ochoa; Layun, Moreno, Marquez, Rodriguez, Aguilar; Guardado, Vazquez, Herrera; Dos Santos, Peralta
Cameroon's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Itandje; Bedimo, Chedjou, N'Koulou, Nyom; Mbia, Matip, Song; Moting, Eto'o, Moukandjo
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored)
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