Who was left out of Mexico’s squad for Peru, Colombia friendlies?
Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, the head coach of the Mexican national team, has called up 31 players for El Tri’s September fixtures.
The head coach of the Mexico national team, Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, will have one last opportunity to decide which players will be traveling to the World Cup in November. Ahead of the upcoming FIFA international break in September, Martino has called up 31 players for the friendlies against Peru and Colombia that will be played in California.
The Mexican national team will be traveling to Carson, California to hold camp ahead at Dignity Health Sports Park early next week. El Tri will play against Peru on 24 September at the Rose Bowl and three days later against Colombia at Levi’s Stadium.
31-player roster for the September FIFA international break
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (América), Alfredo Talavera (Juárez) and Rodolfo Cota (León).
Defenders: Jorge Sánchez (Ajax), Néstor Araujo (América), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk), Kevin Álvarez (Pachuca), Jesús Gallardo (Monterrey), César Montes (Monterrey), Héctor Moreno (Monterrey), Jesús Angulo (Tigres) and Johan Vásquez (Cremonese).
Midfielders: Edson Álvarez (Ajax), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Orbelín Pineda (AEK), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas), Fernando Beltrán (Chivas), Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Érick Gutierrez (PSV), Luis Chávez (Pachuca), Érick Sánchez (Pachuca), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Diego Lainez (Braga) and Andrés Guardado (Betis).
Forwards: Alexis Vega (Chivas), Henry Martín (América), Santiago Giménez (Feyenoord), Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey) and Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton).
These two games will be the side’s final preparation for the World Cup and only 26 players from the Mexican national team will be traveling to Qatar, so this is their last opportunity to present a case for themselves. Martino called up four strikers, but not all of them will be in the final 26-man roster. So Santiago Giménez, Rogelio Funes Mori, Alexis Vega and Henry Martín will fight for the final spots to serve as a second option to Raúl Jiménez during the World Cup.
Who was left out?
It was a surprise not to see Santos Laguna goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo, who is having a breakout season in Liga MX this campaign. Other players that were left out are Julián Araujo and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, both from the LA Galaxy. LAFC’s Carlos Vela didn’t receive a call-up, but he has been clear that his time with the national team came to an end after the 2018 World Cup.