Raul Jimenez earned more headlines overnight as Mexico beat the United States to win the Gold Cup final in Houston. There was a battle against adversity, something the veteran forward has been all too familiar with after his horrific head injury four years ago, and the touching tribute he paid to his former Wolverhampton Wanderers team-mate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away last week. But the quality of Jimenez’s equaliser, rifled past Matthew Freese and into the roof of the net before the striker’s former Fulham team-mate Tim Ream could react, had me wondering about what point Raul’s renaissance is recognised not as a remarkable run of form but as evidence of his enduring class?
Whilst Jimenez has been grabbing goals to secure Mexico’s tenth CONCACAF crown, all the SW6-centred speculation has focused on Rodrigo Muniz. The Brazilian finished Fulham’s season out of Marco Silva’s starting line-up after he suffered an achilles injury in the defeat at AFC Bournemouth in April. His sensational scoring exploits have, however, attracted interest from right across Europe – with Fulham already rejecting big money bids for the former Flamengo forward from newly-promoted Leeds United and Tottenham Hotpur.
There seems to be an expectation amongst Fulham fans that it will be Muniz, the centre forward who Silva battled with the board to sign shortly after he took over at Craven Cottage, up front at the AMEX Stadium in the middle of August. Whilst Muniz’s metamorphosis from a man who looked at all sea during his Middlesbrough loan to a striker who scored against all of the Premier League’s big six last term has been incredible, Jimenez’s record isn’t to be sniffed at either.
The striker – who worked so hard in his youth to get every last inch of his talent onto the field – was in incredible form last season as he shared the lone striker role with Muniz. Jimenez, desperate to lead the line for Mexico at next summer’s World Cup, scored fourteen times last year and maintained his unblemished Premier League penalty record – which given Fulham’s propensity for failure from twelve yards is a massive trump card.
Consider, too, how the 34 year-old came off the back of a long and tiring domestic season to be recalled to Javier Aguirre’s Mexican squad for the Gold Cup. Aguirre is keen to evolve his eleven as the clock ticks down to the World Cup being hosted in Canada, Mexico and the USA. The new manager can certainly change up his side, but benching Jimenez – who scored three goals in the summer tournament – would be a retrograde step, especially as the striker has been there, seen it and done it. The days of pensioning off your best players once they hit 30 are over. Raul still looks red-hot in front of goal and he’ll have plenty to offer the Whites over the 2025/26 campaign.
Let’s hope he can have a good rest in the short amount of time before preseason starts.
A true professional who always gives his all.
Another well-deserved victory for Raul! He’s a fine player, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. He adds a needed voice of experience to the team.
He’s a class act and always puts in a shift, but he looked completely cream crackered at the end of last season and the Gold Cup won’t have helped.
The man needs a rest.
I’m worried he’ll be burned out for next season. He’s a class act who always puts in a shift, top guy who deserves all his success after that nasty injury a joy to watch long may his success last hopefully at Fulham
We need to rethink this too old concept . There are 3 positions where age and experience beat youth and running stamina – Goal Keeper , Central Defenders and yes loan strikers . ! These players run around least on the pitch and don’t need the distance stamina of midfielders , wingers , and wing backs who do crazy running around . Also our players these days whilst more injury prone than before 8Os because physical demand is higher but they are equally more fit . What counts most is clinical skill and confidence … Raul ‘s confidence has sky rocketed since he came to Fulham … He will have at least 2 years of the very best to come . Well done to Marco Silva what an amazing achievement he has had with Raul. BTW I have been very critical of ESR but I faith in MS’s miracle powers that this year ESR will see his full potential