Much like the U.S., Mexico's choice for coach is clear

	Hugo Sánchez may be the best Mexican ever to play the game, and he also might be the most logical choice for national-team coach. AP
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The on-again, off-again love affair Mexican national-team supporters have with their coach could be set on high for the first time since 2002.

With the dreaded Ricardo Lavolpe Era firmly in the past, the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) is in the process of hiring a new front man for CONCACAF's most powerful footballing nation.

Sometime in November, the FMF is likely to announce a new coach. As it should, the federation has been taking its time to sort through the numerous qualified candidates to settle on a choice that will give El Tri the best possible chance for success over the next four years and beyond.

Much like U.S. fans and their preference for Jürgen Klinsmann, there seems to be one candidate most Mexican supporters desire. Hugo Sánchez, CONCACAF's best-ever player, has re-joined the coaching ranks and could soon land his first national team gig.

His finest days were as a player some two decades ago, but he's still immensely popular in Mexico. Revered for his superb goal-scoring abilities and outspokenness as a coach, Sánchez is the clear frontrunner for the job, despite not having much success -- or activity -- since guiding Pumas to their second consecutive Mexican league title in the Clausura '04 season. He coached his first game with Necaxa on Sept. 30

The FMF is reportedly considering at least six other candidates, including América boss Luis Fernando "Flaco" Tena, Toluca coach Américo Gallego, Tigres coach Mario Carrillo and former Germany boss Klinsmann, whose agent says he has received an offer from Mexico.

Whoever takes over will have a lot of work to do as 2007 will be an important year for Mexico. El Tri will compete in the Copa América as well as the CONCACAF Gold Cup with an eye toward World Cup qualifying, which kicks off in '08. Next year's Gold Cup champion will qualify for the '09 Confederations Cup, which is yet another opportunity to showcase El Tri abroad.

For all the negativity Lavolpe left behind, the hotheaded Argentine did groom some top-notch players. Carlos Salcido, Francisco "Kikin" Fonseca and Ricardo Osorio earned their first caps under Lavolpe. All three played in each of Mexico's four World Cup games in Germany and each landed jobs on top European clubs following the tournament.

Aging stars such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Oswaldo Sánchez and Pavel Pardo will likely give way in time to the next batch of players, such as Andres Guardado and Guillermo Ochoa. How soon will likely depend on the direction the new Tri boss takes.

Lavolpe, now with Boca Juniors in Argentina, was not a popular choice when he took over in October '02. After the hugely popular Javier "Vasco" Aguirre left Mexico following the '02 World Cup for Spanish club Osasuna, the FMF went with a coach who supposedly knew the Mexican league and its players well. Lavolpe had spent more than 20 years in Mexico as a player and coach. He won one league title and fielded several competitive clubs.