World Cup One To Watch: Jesus Manuel Corona – Mexico’s crafty winger who loves to take risks

World Cup One To Watch: Jesus Manuel Corona – Mexico’s crafty winger who loves to take risks

Corona’s adventurous style of play and audacious decision-making will be a welcome breath of fresh air in Russia.

SIMPLY put, Jesus Manuel Corona is the wild-card player for Mexico in the 2018 World Cup.

With an immense amount of pace and creativity at his disposal, the 25-year-old winger has proven to be a threat to any opposition he has faced. Following stints in the Liga MX with Monterrey and in the Eredivisie with Twente, Corona has since become a key player for Porto after his arrival in 2015. 

However, in order to truly know the player, we must first go back to his formative days in Mexico’s top flight with Monterrey. 

It was here that Corona earned the peculiar nickname “Tecatito” by his former employer. Due to the fact that Monterrey was sponsored by Tecate, a major Mexican brewery, ownership wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of having the name of a rival beer company like “Corona” on the back of a jersey. Instead, he was given the nickname “Tecatito,” a moniker which has since stayed with the player who embraced it.

All that said, there’s much more to Corona’s Monterrey days than just his nickname. In 2012, the budding talent began to emerge as an exciting prospect in the league, and once that year’s Club World Cup rolled around, the winger took his game to another level.

At 19 years of age, the Mexican youngster turned heads with his two goals in Monterrey’s three Club World Cup games. Although his Liga MX side ended up losing to Chelsea in the semi-final round of the competition, Corona put on a show with his runs and dribbles that frustrated the Blues’ backline. 

The winger was a star-in-the-making, and after taking part in the 2013 U20 World Cup for Mexico, Corona later made the leap to Europe with Twente in August of that year. Despite the fact that he initially had a slow start in the 2013-14 season, the young Mexican eventually found his form in the ensuing tournament.

Thanks to his brilliant start for Twente’s reserve side in the 2014-15 season, Corona eventually made his way back to the senior squad and into the headlines as well. The winger not only went on to collect nine goals for Twente’s first team that season, but also earned his first call-up to Mexico’s senior team in November of 2014.

At that point, Corona’s career truly started to take off. What followed was a transfer to Porto in the summer of 2015 and an established place in the Mexican national team roster. In the past few years, Corona has been able to win over fans with his risk-taking moves, blistering pace and crafty goals.

In his 10 appearances during Mexico’s recent World Cup qualifying run, Corona was able to shine for the national team with his four goals and two assists. 

Yet, as mentioned earlier, the player remains a wild-card.

His brilliant technical ability is only matched by his inconsistencies. It’s easy to find countless YouTube videos of his world-class goals and breathtaking dribbling, but what those videos don’t show is a lack of providing these performances week in and week out.

It’s at times frustrating to watch the player who has yet to hit his peak, but as soon as serious worries begin to mount over his form, Corona always bounces back with a mesmerizing goal or assist.

Unfortunately, he has also dealt with a couple of personal setbacks. 

Ahead of the 2017 Confederations Cup, Mexico national team manager Juan Carlos Osorio stated that Corona would not be available for the tournament. “On Jesus M. Corona, it's a personal decision and we deeply respect it,” said Osorio last June. After the Confederations Cup, Corona stated in a mid-July interview that he didn’t go to the tournament for “familial reasons.”

Four months later, the Porto player once again left a national team camp before last November’s international friendlies against Belgium and Poland. News later emerged that Corona’s wife had complications during pregnancy and had sadly lost their child. 

It has truly been a trying time for the player who is only 25, and looking back at potential issues on the pitch, Corona faces serious competition for a starting national team spot from other gifted wingers like Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano.

Nonetheless, on paper, Corona has the capabilities and skill-set to be a vital figure for Mexico in the World Cup. For anxious national team fans, the player’s adventurous style of play and audacious decision-making will be a welcome breath of fresh air once he steps onto the field.

Whether it be as a starter or as a late impact substitute, Corona is set to be a catalyst in the attack for Mexico. For those who have yet to watch him play, keep an eye on the diminutive winger who has a massive amount of confidence.

Against some of the world’s best players, Corona will be eager to flaunt his talents.

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