Gabriel Herrera

Goalkeeper - Veracruz
15 Nov 2027
Monday
Process

Marked for Gabriel Herrera

67 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

8 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

13 matches without a win for Veracruz

The run now stands at 13, and the questions being asked around Veracruz are no longer polite ones.

Player ratings

Raúl Torres shuts the door

Defensive actions: 36, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Alexis Dos Santos was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Arneth González

Successful dribbles: 21. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Squad

No hiding place for Rolando Flores

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Rolando Flores, and the manager let it.

Player ratings

Nothing got past Carlos Vazquez

Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 14 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.

Player ratings

A defender's afternoon for Freddy Arias

Defensive actions: 13. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.

Match

Veracruz and Chiapas cancel each other out

Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Chiapas came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.

Squad

Veracruz fine Alexis Dos Santos

A club that lets a breach of discipline pass invites the next one, so a week's wages have gone. The matter is closed, officially at least.

In brief

Back issues
66 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

1 Nov 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

12 matches without a win for Veracruz

The run now stands at 12, and the questions being asked around Veracruz are no longer polite ones.

Match

Veracruz bow out of the cup

Club America go through and Veracruz go home, 0‑1 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.

Match

Veracruz sink to position 16

11 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Gabriel Herrera

There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Squad

Alexis Dos Santos in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Lucas Cunha runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 19. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

One of those days for Carlos Vazquez

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.41, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Squad

Nestor Gutierrez out for 30 days

The medical room confirms 30 days on the sidelines for Nestor Gutierrez, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Jesús Serrato gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

57 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

30 Aug 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Gabriel Herrera decides it from twelve yards

2 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.

Match

Veracruz march on in the cup

Dorados are out and Veracruz go through, 0‑0 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.

Player ratings

Jhojan De La Cruz runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 24. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

Nothing got past Marco Romo

Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 24 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Alexis Dos Santos was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Guillermo Araujo gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Player ratings

One of those days for Diego Abella

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.27, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Player ratings

Raúl Torres misses from twelve yards

It was his to settle and he did not settle it. A long walk back to the halfway line, and a considerably longer week.

Squad

Costly mistake from Guillermo Araujo

An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Guillermo Araujo knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.

In brief

51 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

19 Jul 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Veracruz are in real trouble now

Position 16, 29 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.

Market

Veracruz turn down Tijuana for Gabriel Herrera

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Alexis Dos Santos was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

In brief

44 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

31 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Rodolfo Corona: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Veracruz have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

No hiding place for Kevin Martínez

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Kevin Martínez, and the manager let it.

In brief

43 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

24 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tempers go at Nashville SC

Jeisson Palacios was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Mateo Silvetti is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.02 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Nashville SC know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Mateo Silvetti

Successful dribbles: 20. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Hany Mukhtar

Marked 8.88 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Bryan Acosta

Marked 8.67 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Player ratings

One of those days for Jeisson Palacios

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.10, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Match

Hany Mukhtar rescues a point for Nashville SC

It needed Hany Mukhtar to find the net to bring anything home at all: 3‑3 against DC United, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.

Squad

Jeisson Palacios finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Nashville SC have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

43 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

24 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Every point is an argument now for Veracruz

Position 16 and 29 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.

Squad

Alonso Ramírez: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Veracruz have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Diego Jimenez in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Kevin Martínez asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Jhojan De La Cruz still has not settled

A year in and the language has not come, the city has not opened up, and he eats alone more often than anybody at Veracruz would like to admit. It is showing on Saturdays.

Loan watch

Lucas Cunha has made Deportes Quindio’s shirt his own

17 starts now, an average of 6.87, and the team sheet at Deportes Quindio has stopped being a question. Exactly what everybody signed up for.

In brief

42 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

17 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Diego Jimenez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Veracruz lose Carlos Vazquez

17 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

A long bet from Veracruz on Jhojan De La Cruz

He is 20, and nobody at Veracruz signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.

In brief

41 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

10 May 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Patrick Yazbek puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Nashville SC, and it is not being withdrawn.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Gabriel Herrera

There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Player ratings

Nothing got past Patrick Yazbek

Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 30 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.

Squad

Tempers go at Nashville SC

Jeisson Palacios was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

No hiding place for Francisco Fraga

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Francisco Fraga, and the manager let it.

Player ratings

Cristian Espinoza runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 16. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

A defender's afternoon for Jack Maher

Defensive actions: 14. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.

Player ratings

Sam Surridge leaves them behind him

Shots: 9. Goals: none. The chances were there and they were good ones, and they went into the stand, the goalkeeper's arms and the side netting in roughly that order.

Match

Point won or two lost for Nashville SC?

Ninety minutes, no goals, and the argument started before the car park emptied: a point gained, or two thrown away against Columbus Crew? Both sides of it will still be going on Thursday.

In brief

39 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

26 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

José Silva asks to leave Nashville SC

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Player ratings

Mateo Silvetti runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 28. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Squad

Tempers go at Nashville SC

Jeisson Palacios was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Philadelphia Union take the points off Nashville SC

Beaten 0‑1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

Squad

No hiding place for Alex Muyl

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alex Muyl, and the manager let it.

Player ratings

Sam Surridge never got going

4.08 on the card. Some afternoons a footballer looks like a man who has only just been introduced to the game, and this was one of them.

Player ratings

Hany Mukhtar keeps on missing

Shots: 5, not one of them in. A centre forward is paid for one thing, and on this evidence he has forgotten which thing it is.

Squad

Reed Baker-Whiting knocks on the manager’s door

“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Reed Baker-Whiting trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.

In brief

39 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

26 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Every point is an argument now for Veracruz

Position 16 and 29 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.

Squad

Diego Jimenez in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Alonso Ramírez

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Jonathan Rodriguez knocks on the manager’s door

“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Jonathan Rodriguez trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.

Loan watch

Lucas Cunha first choice at Deportes Quindio

14 starts and a season average of 6.89. The loan is doing exactly what it was arranged to do.

Loan watch

Gabriel Herrera has made Nashville SC’s shirt his own

8 starts now, an average of 6.78, and the team sheet at Nashville SC has stopped being a question. Exactly what everybody signed up for.

In brief

38 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

19 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Gabriel Herrera keeps Nashville SC in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 8 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Tempers go at Nashville SC

Jeisson Palacios was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Mateo Silvetti in the eights

A performance of 9.14 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Squad

Edvard Tagseth gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Hany Mukhtar

Successful dribbles: 16. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Match

Nashville SC and Atlanta United FC take a point apiece

It finished 1‑1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Player ratings

Jeisson Palacios never got going

4.42 on the card. Some afternoons a footballer looks like a man who has only just been introduced to the game, and this was one of them.

Market

The Jeisson Palacios talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Nashville SC know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Somebody is after Sam Surridge’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Sam Surridge suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Nashville SC have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

In brief

38 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

19 Apr 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Jonathan Rodriguez says Veracruz went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Diego Jimenez in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Veracruz lose Angel Edson

26 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

In brief

35 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

29 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

José Silva asks to leave Nashville SC

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Woobens Pacius moves on

Portland Timbers pay $2.1M, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Nashville SC this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Ahmed Qasem runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Hany Mukhtar

Marked 8.97 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Andy Najar

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Player ratings

Sam Surridge leaves them behind him

Shots: 11. Goals: none. The chances were there and they were good ones, and they went into the stand, the goalkeeper's arms and the side netting in roughly that order.

Match

Hany Mukhtar rescues a point for Nashville SC

It needed Hany Mukhtar to find the net to bring anything home at all: 1‑1 against CF Montreal, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.

Squad

Hany Mukhtar is off the mark for Nashville SC

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

In brief

35 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

29 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Every point is an argument now for Veracruz

Position 16 and 29 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Diego Jimenez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Squad

Kevin Martínez signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Kevin Martínez commits to Veracruz for another 4 years.

In brief

34 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

22 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Reed Baker-Whiting hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Nashville SC can pretend not to have heard.

Player ratings

Hany Mukhtar runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 23. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Squad

Tempers go at Nashville SC

Jeisson Palacios was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Cristian Espinoza

Marked 8.61 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Market

Portland Timbers are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Nashville SC will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between Nashville SC and FC Cincinnati

1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Player ratings

The one thing Sam Surridge could not do

Shots: 10, enough of them from close enough that a striker in form scores two. He is not a striker in form.

Market

The Jeisson Palacios talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Nashville SC know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

31 Edition

The Nashville SC Post

1 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Woobens Pacius asks to leave Nashville SC

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Jeisson Palacios in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Nashville SC this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Market

Manuel Sánchez is a Nashville SC player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Market

Reed Baker-Whiting is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Nashville SC has been clear about where Reed Baker-Whiting stands, which is more than many ever get.

Market

Nashville SC put Patrick Yazbek up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Patrick Yazbek may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

Squad

Gabriel Herrera still has not settled

A year in and the language has not come, the city has not opened up, and he eats alone more often than anybody at Nashville SC would like to admit. It is showing on Saturdays.

In brief

31 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

1 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Rodolfo Gallardo

Successful dribbles: 37. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Match

Every point is an argument now for Veracruz

Position 16 and 25 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.

Squad

Nestor Vega: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Veracruz have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Diego Jimenez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Morelia take the points off Veracruz

Beaten 0‑1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Raúl Torres gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

29 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

15 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Diego Jimenez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Player ratings

Rodolfo Gallardo runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Market

Nashville SC join the queue for Gabriel Herrera

Add another name to the list: Nashville SC have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Gabriel Herrera. The answer from Veracruz has not changed — yet.

Squad

Diego Jimenez is in the form of his life

A season average of 7.28 with 10 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.

Match

Puebla take the points off Veracruz

Beaten 0‑1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Player ratings

A day to forget for Jesus Herrera

Marked 3.89, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Cesar Lozano

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

The Rodolfo Gallardo question follows Veracruz around

Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Rodolfo Gallardo’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.

Player ratings

A day to forget for Kevin Martínez

Marked 5.56, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.

In brief

17 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

23 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Gabriel Herrera: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Veracruz have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Jose Salcedo asks to leave Veracruz

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Alexis Dos Santos in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Rodolfo Gallardo is in the form of his life

A season average of 7.47 with 9 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.

Match

Veracruz see off Leon

Three points for Veracruz, 3‑1 the final word against Leon in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Player ratings

One of those days for Rodolfo Gallardo

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.20, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Player ratings

One of those days for Diego Jimenez

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.84, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Player ratings

Angel Ochoa in the eights

A performance of 8.54 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Squad

No hiding place for Guilherme

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Guilherme, and the manager let it.

In brief

  • Player ratings Marco Romo leaves them behind him
  • Boardroom Veracruz were not finished after all
  • The terraces The press cannot get enough of Diego Jimenez
13 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

26 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to Veracruz's wait for a win

7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Veracruz has to find a result from somewhere.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Rodolfo Gallardo

Marked 9.17 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Squad

Raúl Torres in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Player ratings

Diego Jimenez in the eights

A performance of 8.84 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Squad

Rodolfo Gallardo is in the form of his life

A season average of 7.32 with 7 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.

Squad

Guillermo Araujo lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

In brief

6 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

7 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Player ratings

A defender's afternoon for Jesus Herrera

Defensive actions: 29. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.

Market

Veracruz say no — this time

The offer from Tijuana for Nestor Vega was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Player ratings

One of those days for Diego Jimenez

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.16, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Raúl Torres was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Diego Jimenez sends Veracruz past Atlas

It finished 1‑0, and it was Diego Jimenez’s afternoon: on the scoresheet when it mattered, and the reason the points belong to Veracruz.

Squad

Marco Romo gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Freddy Arias

Marked 8.29 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

Player ratings

Alexis Dos Santos shuts the door

Defensive actions: 18, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.

Squad

Nestor Vega knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Veracruz, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

5 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

31 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Market

Veracruz turn down Queretaro for Guillermo Araujo

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Market

Rodolfo Corona hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Veracruz can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Diego Jimenez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

Veracruz see off Santos Laguna

Three points for Veracruz, 3‑2 the final word against Santos Laguna in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Market

Nestor Vega attracts admirers

The name of Nestor Vega has come up in conversations Veracruz were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Market

Veracruz sell Hugo Corona for $120.0K

Hugo Corona has left for Chiapas in a $120.0K deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Rodolfo Gallardo

Successful dribbles: 20. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Player ratings

Angel Ochoa in the eights

A performance of 8.98 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

Player ratings

A masterclass from Diego Jimenez

Marked 8.63 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.

In brief

4 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

24 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

The cup run ends for Veracruz

1‑1 against Chiapas, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.

Player ratings

Nobody could get near Nestor Vega

Successful dribbles: 30. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.

Market

Veracruz say no — this time

The offer from Pachuca for Sebastian Ramirez was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Market

Jonathan Rodriguez asks to leave Veracruz

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Guillermo Araujo

There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Match

No end in sight to Veracruz's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Veracruz has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Tempers go at Veracruz

Freddy Arias was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Match

A bad afternoon for Veracruz against Club America

1‑2 to Club America, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Player ratings

One of those days for Rodolfo Gallardo

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.78, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

In brief

3 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

17 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Crisis

Player ratings

Diego Jimenez runs at them all day

Successful dribbles: 31. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.

Market

Toluca come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and Veracruz did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Squad

Freddy Arias in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Match

A bad afternoon for Veracruz against Queretaro

0‑2 to Queretaro, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

No hiding place for Guillermo Araujo

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Guillermo Araujo, and the manager let it.

Squad

Jose Salcedo signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Jose Salcedo and Veracruz agree another 3 years.

Market

Austin FC are about to pick up the phone

A conversation is coming this week. Veracruz will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.

Player ratings

Angel Ochoa leaves them behind him

Shots: 5. Goals: none. The chances were there and they were good ones, and they went into the stand, the goalkeeper's arms and the side netting in roughly that order.

Player ratings

Off the pace: Luis Lainez

A mark of 5.49 tells the story without any need for embellishment. He will want the tape of this one quietly lost.

In brief

1 Edition

The Veracruz Courier

3 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Raul Ramirez attracts admirers

The name of Raul Ramirez has come up in conversations Veracruz were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Market

Veracruz turn down FC Dallas for Gabriel Herrera

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Market

Raul Ramirez raises the bar for Veracruz

“I want to be playing for trophies while my legs still let me.” Nothing in that sentence is a transfer request, and nobody at Veracruz heard it as anything else.

Squad

Diego Jimenez in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Veracruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Squad

Jesus Herrera signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jesus Herrera commits to Veracruz for another 2 years.

Match

A bad afternoon for Veracruz against Guadalajara

1‑2 to Guadalajara, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Player ratings

One of those days for Rodolfo Gallardo

There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.69, and no argument anywhere in the ground.

Squad

No hiding place for Diego Jimenez

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Diego Jimenez, and the manager let it.

Market

Jonathan Rodriguez is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Veracruz has been clear about where Jonathan Rodriguez stands, which is more than many ever get.

In brief