Football: Player manager doing a job she really loves

Player agent Mariel Duayhe Sarquis in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Player agent Mariel Duayhe Sarquis in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Football has brought Mariel Duayhe Sarquis to Dunedin to do what she loves.

The 26-year-old player manager is here with the Mexican under-20 team competing in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup.

She works for the You First Sports player agency out of Mexico City, where she has lived all her life, and has been busy dealing with scouts from some of the biggest clubs in the world.

Duayhe Sarquis is solely in charge of defender Diego Bernal, while two other Mexican players, Diego Gama and captain Erick Gutierrez, are also looked after by the agency.

Gama, who is on Atletico Madrid's books, and Bernal were both red-carded in Mexico's shock 2-0 loss to Mali in its first game last weekend, which provided an awkward moment for Duayhe Sarquis.

She was watching the match with scouts from all over the world, including one from Juventus, when the players were sent off within minutes of each other.

While that and the soaking Dunedin copped on Wednesday were not memorable, she described the rest of her time in Dunedin as ''perfect''.

Duayhe Sarquis, who played football for the Mexican women's under-17 team in the past, has been in her job for 2 years.

''I really love my job,'' she said.

''It's always been a dream to be working inside football. It's a hard thing to do as a woman, as it's not very common in Mexico.

''But I'm happy. I hope I get better and can get better players and better deals for them.''

She watched Mexico's second game against Uruguay on Wednesday with scouts from Manchester United, Manchester City, Sevilla, CSKA Moscow and the Portland Timbers.

''They are just watching the game and making reports, and I'm trying to show them my players. They fill in the reports and send that information to the club.

''All good players suit them. Maybe not right now, but maybe in a year, to see how a player evolves.''

Gama and Bernal, in whom Duayhe Sarquis confirmed scouts were interested, have served their mandatory one-match suspension for being sent off and will be on show for scouts at Otago Stadium this afternoon.

Most scouts will leave New Zealand at the end of the group stage tomorrow, while Duayhe Sarquis leaves for Mexico on Thursday.

You First Sports, which has offices all over the world, including Spain, Italy, Germany and the United States, manages 520 football and basketball players and coaches.

 

 


Fifa U-20 World Cup
Today, Otago Stadium

• Columbia v Portugal, 1pm; Mexico v Serbia, 4pm.

Hamilton matches

• Senegal v Qatar, 1pm; Uruguay v Mali, 4pm.

 


Permutations from today

A quick look at the standings shows it is no wonder group D was called the group of death almost immediately after the groups were drawn in February.

Going into the final two matches, all four teams can still win the pool and book a round-of-16 match in Dunedin on Wednesday night.

Uruguay has to go into its match against Mali as the clear favourite, while Mexico probably holds a slight edge against Serbia.

However, anything can happen and it might just be best to wait and see how group D pans out.

The top two teams in each pool and the top four third-placed teams advance to the next stage.


 

 

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