With injury concerns about five players, Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio named a preliminary squad of 28 players that he will need to reduce to 23 for the 2018 World Cup. Not on the shortlistis 19-year-old Mexican-American Jonathan Gonzalez, who filed a switch of association to play for Mexico’s senior national team.
Molina over Gonzalez. Gonzalez played for El Tri in the friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina on January, but he did not appear in the two March friendlies. He was a Liga MXBest XI pick for Monterrey in the Torneo Apertura, but his playing time was reduced in the Torneo Clausura.
Jesus Molina, whose starting job in Los Rayados’ midfield Gonzalez tooklast summer, made Osorio’s short list.
LA connection. MLS players Carlos Vela, Jonathan dos Santos and GiovaniDos Santos were selected, though both dos Santos brothers are injured. Jona left the LA Galaxy’s match at FC Dallas on Saturday in the first half with a charley horse, while Gio didn’t make thetrip to Frisco because of an undisclosed injury.
More injury concerns.Andres Guardado and Diego Reyes, who are both expected to start, are sidelined while Nestor Araujo has just returned to training with Torneo Clausura finalist Santos Laguna from aknee injury suffered in March.
Tuneups. Mexico will play friendlies against Wales at the Rose Bowl on Memorial Day (May 28),Scotland at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 2 and Denmark in Copenhagen on June 9.
First round. Mexico will open againstGermany June 17 at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in one of the top first-round matches. El Tri then will face South Korea and Sweden in Group F.
Mexico Roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege/BEL), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul).
DEFENDERS: Carlos Salcedo(Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Nestor Araujo (Santos Laguna), Diego Reyes (Porto/POR), Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad/ESP), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Oswaldo Alanis (Guadalajara), Edson Alvarez (Club America),Jesus Gallardo (UNAM), Miguel Layun (Sevilla/ESP).
MIDFIELDERS:: Jesus Molina (Monterrey), Rafa Marquez (Atlas), Hector Herrera (Porto/POR), Jonathan dos Santos (LA Galaxy), AndresGuardado (Real Betis/ESP), Erick Gutierrez (Pachuca), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy).
FORWARDS: Javier Hernandez (West Ham United/ENG), RaulJimenez (Benfica/POR), Oribe Peralta (Club America), Jesus Corona (Porto/POR), Carlos Vela (LAFC), Javier Aquino (Tigres), Hirving Lozano (PSV/NED), Jurgen Damm (Tigres).
“Molina over Gonzalez.” Disappointing.