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Mexico announces roster for qualifier vs. USA

MexicoCelebrates (ISIphotos.com) 

Fresh from its triumph in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, the Mexican national team has announced its roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against the United States on Aug. 12 in Mexico City.

The group contains several of the team's top Gold Cup performers, as well as most of Mexico's premier European-based players. Here is the group:

GOALKEEPERS: Guillermo Ochoa (América), José de Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul).

DEFENDERS: Efraín Juárez (Pumas), José Antonio Castro (Tigres), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart, Alemania), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Holanda), Oscar Rojas (América), Rafael Márquez (Barcelona, España), Jonny Magallón (Chivas), Aarón Galindo (Chivas).

MIDFIELDERS: Israel Castro (Pumas), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña, España), Alberto Medina (Chivas).

FORWARDS: Miguel Sabah (Morelia), Giovani Dos Santos (Ipswich, Inglaterra), Carlos Vela (Arsenal, Inglaterra), Guillermo Franco (sin equipo), Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk).

So just how seriously is Mexico taking this match?

Mexican national team manager Javier Aguirre is going so far as to bring in this entire group a week before the Aug. 12 match, including the European-based players.

The Mexican squad includes Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco, but not long-time Mexican national team leader Pavel Pardo, who has never been a favorite of Aguirre's.

So when will we see the U.S. team's roster? Don't hold your breath. U.S. head coach Bob Bradley always waits until the last possible moment to release his rosters so we may not know the group the U.S. team is sending until the Friday before or even as late as the Sunday before the match.

What do you think of this Mexico group? Are you worried for the United States, or do you like the U.S. team's chances on August 12th? Who would you like to see Bradley call up for the qualifier?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. for those that say the US – Spain game in the Confederations was a friendly, and that the win was a fluke, I’d like to remind you that Spain was going for a record of no losses, so a loss was not in their plans, no matter whether it was a tournament or an exhibition game.

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  2. READ MINE!

    most of usa’s “B”and”C” team are pretty young right? supposedly that’s why they lost. mexico’s supposedly “A” team that played usa for the gold cup most were about 21 and younger except 2 of them torrado and franco. so it was pretty much a fair match its not mexico’s fault they have better younger players than usa.
    checked mexico’s old roster they’re still more than 4 players for their next game.

    Greetings from SPAIN.

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  3. “Ching might be very good in the air, but that’s mostly only good on free kicks and corners. The US MUST be able to score via the run of play to be successful at the highest level.”
    Dude, even though Ching is tall he is not dominant in the air. However, he plays a part in TONS of goals during the run of play, he just usually isn’t the last touch on them.

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  4. “but there is no way he matches what Altidore (and i’m sure davies will show it too in the next couple of years) can do on an international stage.”
    That is exactly right, as soon as Altidore and Davies start getting regular playing time, right now Davies is looking like he may get that before Altidore, they will probably surpass Ching in their usefulness. Hopefully it won’t take two years like you said.

    However, once Ching is gone, you may then realize what he brought to the game. Often times you will find that if Ching didn’t get the assist, then he either drew the foul, made the pass before the assist, or made a play that opened up the game. Not to mention his hardcore work rate in team defense and pressure and in making runs into the open space to open the game up.

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  5. Ok they are strikers right? What so then we’ll judge a striker by their STRIKE RATE.

    Brian Ching

    10 international goals from 41 matches.

    Teams that he’s scored against: Jamaica, T&T, 2 vs Barbados (in the 8 nil blow out), El Salvador (home), Guatemala, Cuba, Honduras.

    Jozy Altidore

    7 international goals in 16 appearances

    Teams he’s scored against: Mexico, Spain, T&T, El Salvador (WCQ away), Cuba

    I’m sorry, Jozy’s only was capped at the end of 07 and he has already almost as many goals as ching, in a bigger spot light, with more at stake.

    I think the biggest argument i have though against Ching is the first game in the world cup this year against honduras. Ching gets the start, even stays in after they make the subs. What happens? Feilhaber, to Davies, brilliant hold up, great turn and pass. Goal. Ching was on the field the whole time…

    Does anyone think Ching makes either of the plays Davies makes in the CC? Either the hustle goal against Egypt or the great run and pass to Donovan? No way. Listen, this isn’t 2005 anymore, the US game has advanced (thank God) and Brian Ching isn’t the answer anymore. Sure, he still could be effective against Concacaf minnows, but there is no way he matches what Altidore (and i’m sure davies will show it too in the next couple of years) can do on an international stage.

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  6. (besides Donovan and Dempsey, who are so good they can play other positions very well that we need)
    Ching is the best United States striker that provides what our team needs the the most from a striker.

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  7. You’re a fool if you think Ching opens up the attack more than Jozy or Davies. He’s great if you want to hold up the ball, or break up the offensive flow, or give it back to the other team, but as far as being a scoring threat during the run of play, I’ll gladly take Jozy or Davies any day of the week. Their speed draws double teams (that’s what opens up all the space for balls into the box), and instead of falling down or turning it over like Ching does, Jozy and Davies have the strength to muscle their way to get a shot on goal. Not Ching. He DOES NOT make a turn and shoot, he DOES NOT continue the flow and play through balls.

    Yes, Ching might be very good in the air, but that’s mostly only good on free kicks and corners. The US MUST be able to score via the run of play to be successful at the highest level. We CANNOT make a run in South Africa scoring only from set pieces. When we had our greatest success as a team (Confederations Cup) we were scoring and maintaining a constant offensive threat through the run of plays, with runs and diagonals and through balls. Not from corners and free kicks. How many scoring opportunities do Jozy and Davies create versus Ching? It’s not even close. The create many more. How many scoring opportunities does Ching stagnate? Many more than Jozy or Davies.

    Ching doesn’t walk? Go back and watch the tape of the Mexico match. There’s a guy walking all over the field. It’s Ching. When he does “apply pressure” he looks more like a puppy chasing its tail than a counter attack about to happen. I can recount several times during the ConfedCup that Jozy created turnovers that led to offensive runs. After Jozy and Davies, I’d rather have Cooper or Casey (although Casey’s the worst walker).

    But please don’t tell me Ching is the best striker the U.S. has, because he’s well down the list…

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  8. Just curious, where are all the USMNT fans on this blog? Where is the hype in America??? I don’t understand.

    On another note: EL CHUPACABRA WILL EAT YOUR MOTHERS, MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM AND FANS!

    Game day less than 2 weeks away, THE YANKS ARE COMING.

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  9. BK

    Ching is the best at what he does, and that is being a target forward who holds the ball with the back to the goal. He does that pretty well in my opinion. Also, Bradley’s 2 forward system requires a forward like him, which opens up the game for the forward along his side, and wingers like Donovan (Remember the Trinidad qualifier, where Ching did that job pretty damn well and helped set up Jozy for 3 goals? Remember the Donovan’s hat trick against Ecuador? Remember the 2007 Gold Cup Final???)

    He’s not the most aesthetically pleasing forward in the world, but he is worth a lot to us. Please do not bring up Sunday’s game, because everyone played absolutely horrible. A forward can only thrive so much without proper service.

    Please do not question his workrate as well. Did you not notice him tracking back and making tackles that are not his responsibility???? But, were all watching the game on TV and can catch different things, so fair enough. Ching is widely known as hardworking forward.

    For the game at the Azteca, I would be ok with Ching playing alongside Davies or Altidore, or seeing the same Altidore Davies forward tandem. I do think Ching is in better game shape than either of Jozy or Charlie, so IMO i would go with Ching up top with one of the others.

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  10. Jones-

    Well what a coup for Ives, his website truly crosses frontiers!

    Having said that, Mexico fans mostly opine when it’s a story regarding the MNT!

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  11. “What has captured me, is how a player like Dos Santos which can be compared to our Freddy Adu nothing is able to get plenty of minutes for a guy that doesn’t play defense. !!!toreadore ”

    _____________________

    toreadore,

    Please name me a coach, anywhere, who gets plenty of minutes for Freddy Adu. Since 2007, Adu’s first year playing for Real Salt Lake, Adu has 38 appearances (not games) at the professional club level. That means a number of coaches, besides Bradley have been unable to find minutes for Freddy.

    When does it stop being the fault of the stupid coaches and start being the fault of the player?

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  12. Mexico did not bring the “A” team to the Gold Cup (Compared to what he had used previously). However he did find a few “A” teamers. This whole team had underperformed even against lousy teams, he now has a few confident forwards which is where they needed the most help. Bradley wasted a golden chance to find out a little about his young players (Torres, Adu, etc..). Adu was training in Florida until a couple of days ago,it was a perfect time to see how he would do with some consistent playing time.

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  13. Don’t know why some USMT fans keep on saying that The US has more stamina and/or better conditioning than Mexico! The Mexican team is known the world over precisely for it’s terrific conditioning and the capacity to outlast it’s rivals. How easy everyone forgets that Mexico played extra-time against Costa Rica, went to penalties three hours after the US had finished their game, and still went on to score five times in the second half on Sunday!!!
    I NEVER saw a hint of exhaustion in that Mexican team!

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