The Dragons of Porto are putting some chile into their fire as they add Jesús Corona and Miguel Layún, two more Mexican players, to their squad.
Jesús “Tecatito” Corona, the future of Mexican soccer, just signed a five-year contract after spending a few seasons on Dutch team Twente.
Miguel Layún, who was at one time considered by many as a great fraud in Mexican soccer (never forget #todoesculpadelayun), joins Porto on a loan from Watford, and will now get the opportunity to play the UEFA Champions League after spending one season in England’s second division, where he achieved the very desired promotion into the Premier League, and where he also scored Watford’s first goal of this season.
With the two signings, Porto now has four Mexican players in their first-team squad (including Hector Herrera and goalkeeper Raúl Gudiño). Porto has become the European team with the most Mexican players in one season. Porto also ties with Villarreal as the European team on which most Mexicans have ever played. Diego Reyes also played with Porto, while the Yellow Submarines had Giovani Dos Santos, Jonathan Dos Santos, Antonio De Nigris, Javier Aquino, and Guillermo Franco.
Porto is playing this season’s UEFA Champions League, and sharing the group with Mourinho’s Chelsea (and Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi), so some exciting action lies in the future of the Mexican players. Fans from across the Atlantic are surely awaiting what the Portuguese team and Mexican players will be able to achieve in this year’s European tournament.
Hector Herrera is a solid force in Porto’s midfield. Tecatito Corona will probably raise some eyebrows once everyone gets to appreciate his magic when he’s put on the big stage, while Layún will try to silence haters once again. With Iker on the team, Raúl Gudiño probably won’t see any important action, but hey, you never know.
Porto will be playing their first Champions League game against Dynamo Kyiv on September 16, while their next league match will be against Arouca on September 13.