In order to prepare for Iceland and Croatia–two opponents that essentially kick-start Mexico’s preparations for the World Cup–Juan Carlos Osorio spent close to a month in Europe. The point of the trip? To garner as much knowledge from some of the best soccer minds in European football, specifically those who know exactly what is needed to beat elite competition under the sport’s biggest tournament.
Osorio took time to meet with the likes of Louis Van Gaal, whose run to the semifinals with the Netherlands in 2014 included a 2-1 win against Mexico in the round of 16, to LVG's compatriot, Guus Hiddink, who took the Netherlands (1998) and South Korea (2002) to fourth-place finishes as well as leading Australia to the knockout stage in 2006.