Mexico has announced the 26 player squad list for the two March friendlies to be played against Portugal and Belgium. Coach Javier Aguirre has made a list that had a number of omissions because of injuries. The friendlies will be the final two friendlies before Mexico starts their training camp on May 6th with the Liga MX players. Mexico will face off against Portugal in Estadio Banorte (Estadio Azteca) on March 28th. They will then travel to the United States to face off against Belgium on March 31st
in Soldier Field, Chicago.
The call up list was the following:
Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel (Chivas), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)
Defenders: Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Jorge Sanchez (PAOK), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), Israel Reyes (America), Richard Ledezma (Chivas), Everardo Lopez (Toluca), Jesus Alberto Angulo (Tigres)
Midfielders: Alvaro Fidalgo (Betis), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Brian Gutierrez (Chivas), Denzell Garcia (FC Juarez), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas), Erick Sanchez (America), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul)
Forwards: Raul Jimenez (Fulham), Julian Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah), Armando Gonzalez (Chivas), German Berterame (Inter Miami), Guillermo Martinez (Pumas), Alexis Vega (Toluca)
The most notable omissions are almost all thru injury. Luis Romo, Julian Araujo, Cesar Huerta, Edson Alvarez, Gilberto Mora and Mateo Chavez. Santiago Gimenez is set to return to action this week but wasn’t called up as both AC Mila and Mexico fell it was too soon to go to international play. Luis Chavez is also close to returning but hasn’t yet. And of course, Marcel Ruiz and Luis Malagon will officially miss the World Cup for their injuries while it looks likely that Rodrigo Huescas will follow suit. Injuries have hampered the team and will be a big hit for Mexico in these matches. The big omission not thru injury is Diego Lainez not being called up for the March friendlies. This comes after he wasn’t called up for the prior friendly against Icelanad and rumors are going that there was conflict between Aguirre and Lainez during the January Bolivia friendly, which is true means that he will not play in the World Cup.
About the new additions, the biggest one is the first call up for Spanish born Alvaro Fidalgo. Fidalgo had just made his One time switch from Spain to Mexico in February after he accumulated the five years necessary to play for a National team for Naturalized players according to FIFA rules. Fidalgo is now playing in Spain with Real Betis and will be a key addition especially after the injury to Marcel Ruiz. The other controversial return is Guillermo Ochoa as he tries to make it to six World Cups. Ochoa is playing in Cyprus and is a veteran player which has questioned his call ups although with Malagon being injured and with Ochoa arguably being the best ever Mexican goalkeeper, it makes more sense for him to be on the list and to get a call up for the World Cup.
Mexico will play against Portugal in the return to action of Estadio Azteca, now called Estadio Banorte. Mexico will face one of the candidates for the World Cup and the toughest opposition they have faced since Aguirre’s return to the National team. They will then travel north to Chicago to face off against Belgium in another tough matchup. This are by far the two toughest rivals Mexico will face prior to the World Cup which makes it dangerous that it will happen as Mexico is facing such a high number of missing players.
