Brian Gutierrez is days from a World Cup debut for Mexico, and he is trying to keep the moment simple. The 22-year-old Illinois native said Tuesday at Mexico’s Centro de Alto Rendimiento that he wants to support the team, do things well and have fun as the squad prepares for its opener against South Africa.
That approach fits the way Gutierrez talks about the move that brought him here. He called it a dream, saying it is the kind of opportunity any player chasing a pro career wants, and he said he and his teammates are excited to get started. He also said that if someone had told him a year and a half ago, when he was still with the Chicago Fire, that he would be getting ready to suit up for Mexico at the World Cup, he would not have been surprised.
His path turned quickly after a multimillion-dollar January move to Chivas de Guadalajara put him on Mexico manager Javier Aguirre’s radar. Aguirre then called Gutierrez into El Tri’s preparation matches before the tournament, and the midfielder’s rise has now carried him into a roster spot that has been rare for Mexican-American players. Gutierrez and fellow MLS product Obed Vargas are the first Mexican-Americans on a Mexico World Cup roster since 2014.
Gutierrez did not sound overwhelmed by the jump, even with June 11 close enough that he could start as one of Mexico’s two-way midfielders against South Africa. He said Mexico’s national team feels international, pointing out that the group includes players born in Spain, Colombia and Argentina. He also said the team goes to the United States often and that parents help shape how many young players with Mexican roots grow up supporting Mexico.
He spoke as someone who sees his own route as proof that the system can work both ways. Gutierrez said development in the United States helped him a lot and that it made him mature, adding that his father helped him as well. Mexico’s opener on June 11 is the immediate test, and the question now is not whether Gutierrez belongs in the conversation. It is whether his calm approach can hold once the match starts and the dream stops feeling distant.
