It’s not a party without El Tri.

Concacaf’s most decorated side begin play on Friday in the inaugural Nations League with an away contest against the island nation of Bermuda. Mexico will be looking to swiftly squash any hopes Bermuda or Panama have of causing a star and winning the group and demonstrate why they can win any regional tournament regardless of which players take part.

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The biggest question heading into the tournament was whether coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino would opt for a squad full of fresh, young faces or lean on veterans in the hopes of securing another trophy. The answer turned out to be somewhere in the middle as the manager comprised a roster with many players who are eligible to play in the upcoming Olympic Games while also bringing in a selection of Europe-based players who missed the Gold Cup for various reasons, such as Héctor Herrera, Diego Lainez, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, and Jesus “Tecatito” Corona.

Incondicionales, meet our roster to take on ?? & ?? in the @CNationsLeague! ⚽️???#PasiónyOrgullo | #FMFporNuestroFútbol pic.twitter.com/h7zs711Sbg

— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) October 4, 2019

Several of the up-and-comers who featured in the recent 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago will suit up at the Nations League, including León striker JJ Macías, Pumas attack-minded right back Alan Mozo, and Monterrey midfielder Jonathan González, among others. Martino is confident in the youthful Liga MX-based contingent, maintaining that the priority is to win the competition with “a good base of young players.”

You won’t find the familiar flowing locks of Guillermo Ochoa in between the sticks this time around. The veteran shot-stopper has been left out of the squad, with León’s Rodolfo Cota, José Hernández of Atlas, and Raúl Gudiño of Chivas all getting chances to stake their claim to be Ochoa’s successor.

With simply unrivaled depth in the region, Mexico have the luxury of calling in new players while still having every reason to believe they can and should take home the trophy when it’s all said and done. The Nations League comes as a perfect opportunity to integrate and develop new additions to the team with the Olympics and the next World Cup cycle on the minds of everyone involved in the federation.

?? W I N N I N G T E A M ⚽️#PasiónyOrgullo | #FMFporNuestroFútbol pic.twitter.com/gh09Y62Q0S

— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) October 10, 2019

The tournament is also a perfect opportunity for Chucky Lozano to step up into a leadership role and gain a boost of confidence as he looks to kick his Napoli campaign into full gear. The Italian club paid a record fee for the winger, but he has only produced a single goal up to this point and appears to need a bit more time to settle in.

Martino’s men may be the overwhelming favorites, but that doesn’t mean they should be brushing off the history been the two sides. The all-time series between Mexico and Bermuda is not nearly as lopsided as you might think – the Gombey Warriors have prevailed in two of the three fixtures in which they hosted El Tri, and Martino isn’t looking past their attack spearheaded by Nahki Wells.

“We believe Bermuda have an important team, specifically on the offensive end,” the manager noted.

Furthermore, Bermuda are fresh off a 2-0 win over Panama – on the road no less – and will be fighting tooth and nail to keep their hopes of advancing and booking a spot in the next Gold Cup alive. The key for a young Mexico team will be remaining patient in their attempts to break an opponent down that will be packing numbers behind the ball at all costs.