Mexico soccer coach Cocca fired after 7 games

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) on Monday officially dropped Diego Cocca as manager of the senior men's national team after a third-place finish in the Concacaf Nations League. In his place, Jaime "Jimmy" Lozano will step in as interim coach.

Cocca, hired in February and fired from his post with a 3-3-1 record, recently fell below expectations last week after Mexico lost 3-0 to the United States in the Nations League and beat Panama 1-0 in an ensuing third place game.

"In the last week, I have found many deficiencies," said FMF commissioner president Juan Carlos Rodriguez in a video on Monday.

"A game against the United States can be lost, there's always that risk because this is football and the win can go one way or the other. What cannot be accepted was the way in which it happened," he said.

"This phase has been flawed by the disorder in decision-making, by the lack of processes, rigor, and transparency in appointments, and by a perfect storm in the bad habits that we've been dragging for so many years.

"The natural thing to do would be to wait for the end of the Gold Cup, but today we don't have time to waste. So I inform you that I've made the decision to terminate the contract of Diego Martin Cocca and the members of his coaching staff," said Rodriguez.

He later added that Rodrigo Ares de Parga would also be dropped as executive director of national teams.

Mexico's 1-0 win over Panama came on Jesús Gallardo's fourth-minute goal.

Aníbal Godoy's apparent equalizer on a 55th-minute bicycle kick was disallowed in a video review for offside, and 76th-minute penalty kick awarded to Mexico by Jamaican referee Daneon Parchment also was reversed in a video review.