Only a handful of teams in world soccer can match the level of sustained success enjoyed by CF Monterrey over the past few years.
Rayados boss Victor Manuel Vucetich cultivated a stable core of players upon his appointment in 2009 and guided them to unprecedented heights in Mexican and North American soccer.
Two domestic titles in the 2009 Apertura and the 2010 Apertura (plus a defeat to Santos Laguna in the 2012 Clausura final), laid the foundation for success on a wider scale. Consecutive triumphs in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2011 and 2012 highlighted the quality of the squad on the international stage and underscored the rampant success of the overall project.
For the second straight December, continental triumph carried Monterrey to Japan for FIFA’s Club World Cup. The hope surrounding last year's trip dissipated quickly after an unexpected defeat to J-League side Kashiwa Reysol on penalties in the quarterfinals. A comprehensive 3-1 victory over Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai on Sunday ensured this visit started off correctly. The hard work, however, truly begins with an enticing semifinal clash against UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea (live, Thursday, FOX Soccer, 5:30 a.m. ET).
The match against Chelsea offers perhaps the best chance for Monterrey to attract the attention it deserves for its recent success. It may also represent the last opportunity for this particular group to achieve success at this level.
Monterrey has done particularly well to retain many of its key players for such a protracted assault on several fronts. Top teams often flail in their attempts to keep a squad together in times of rampant success. Monterrey bucked that trend by leaning on its youth academy, retaining its core players and tinkering with the side on the margins with astute signings.
Five players from the decisive match of the club's first triumph (a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul to seal the 2009 Apertura) featured in the starting XI against Ulsan Hyundai. Those players – plus the injured Humberto Suazo (set to miss the remainder of the tournament after returning to Chile with a thigh injury) and a couple of emerging talents – form the spine of the team that continues to thrive today.
Homegrown goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco tends to matters between the sticks. Argentine captain José Maria Basanta marshals the back four with Severo Meza usually in support and Hiram Mier an increasingly common fixture over the past two years. A mixture of domestic (Mexico regular Jesús Zavala) and foreign (Argentine winger Neri Cardozo, fellow countryman César Delgado and Ecuador international Walter Ayoví) stars combine to take care of the midfield. International strikers Aldo de Nigris and Suazo (aside from a brief loan spell at Real Zaragoza in 2010) supply plenty of production in front of goal.
Vucetich does not send his side out with particularly complex instructions. He prefers a 4-4-2 setup with de Nigris playing as a typical target forward and Suazo operating more freely underneath him. The wide players usually bear most of the creative burden, though Delgado's frequent inclusion in central midfield supplies a bit more creativity in that department. The back four concedes relatively little ground in front of Orozco with Basanta and Mier forming a resolute central defensive partnership and Meza offering some width on the overlap when selected on the right.
Suazo's absence for the match against Chelsea impacts Monterrey's chances to spring the upset and provides a glimpse into the future as this core starts to crack. Although Monterrey produces much of its success through its collective displays, the Chile international, 31, often turns matches with his ability to create and finish chances in the final third. His desire to continue those efforts in Monterrey remains up for some debate after he denied reports of a contract extension on Twitter last month.
Even if Suazo ultimately agrees to fresh terms before his contract expires in the summer, this team will not exist in its present state in perpetuity if it wants to maintain its place among the top sides in Liga MX. Ayoví and de Nigris are on the wrong side of 30; Mier and Zavala could eventually move to Europe; while recent import Ángel Reyna already has one foot out the door. Vucetich might even decide to weave his magic elsewhere at some point in the next few years.
The discussions about how to transition into the future won't overshadow the opportunity ahead against Chelsea on Thursday. Success at the Club World Cup constitutes the last frontier to conquer for this wildly successful side. It won't be easy to overcome this daunting hurdle without Suazo in the fold, but the resourceful Rayados will do their best to ensure that they finally find some way to extend their dominance to this lofty realm.
