Herrera rings in changes for El Tri test

• by Soccer America , Jan 26, 2014

[WORLD CUP 2014 COUNTDOWN] Mexico's squad for its friendly against South Korea Wednesday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, includes a few surprises (live on ESPNews and UniMas at 9 p.m. ET). Only 12 of 21 players Coach Miguel Herrera called in for training on Sunday were with El Tri for its playoff series against New Zealand in November. Two of the new players brought in are California-born: Miguel Ponce and Isaac Brizuela.

Herrera's squad includes 19-year-old Pachuca defender Rodolfo Pizarro and Diego Reyes, who was recalled from Portuguese club Porto. Not in the squad are a pair of veterans -- Carlos Salcido and Gerardo Torrado -- who had remained key players in the Mexico team until its collapse last year.

El Tri includes five players from Club America, Herrera's former team. Absent are Americanistas Moises Munoz and Raul Jimenez. Munoz, who spent part of his childhood living in Northern California, started the two games against New Zealand, but Herrera is using the South Korea game to look at Jose de Jesus Corona and Alfredo Talavera in goal. Jimenez is injured.




Mexico Roster:
Goalkeepers:
Jose de Jesus Corona, Cruz Azul
Alfredo Talavera Toluca
Defenders:
Paul Aguilar, Club America
Diego Reyes, Porto (Portugal)
Enrique Perez, Atlas
Miguel Layun, Club America
Rafael Marquez, Leon
Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Club America
Rodolfo Pizarro, Pachuca
Miguel Ponce, Toluca
Juan Carlos Valenzuela, Club America
Jorge Torres Nilo, Tigres
Midfielders:
Jose Juan Vazquez, Leon
Jesus Zavala, Monterrey
Juan Carlos Medina, Club America
Carlos Pena, Leon
Luis Montes, Leon
Forwards:
Alan Pulido, Tigres
Aldo de Nigris, Guadalajara
Isaac Brizuela, Toluca
Oribe Peralta, Santos
Note: Players in bold suited up for the final qualifier against New Zealand.