By FRANCO PANIZO
If there wasn't already enough of a cloud surrounding Mexico and its players' use of clenbuterol, now comes word that more of the players on the Gold Cup-winning team reportedly tested positive for the banned substance.
According to Mexican outlet Medio Tiempo, FIFA Medical Director Jiri Dvorak announced Friday that four more of the 14 Mexicans that took the anti-doping test prior to the tournament have tested positive, bringing the total to nine players. The identities of the additional players who tested positive are unknown, and the Mexican federation does not plan to disclose that information on the basis that the players did not intentionally dope.
FMF President Justino Compean believes that to be the case, because the levels of the positive test from the four additional players were lower than those of the first five and low enough that they do not suggest doping.
The Mexican federation also thinks that the results of the four additional players support the case of the original five who blamed the failed tests on tainted meat and chicken.
The confirmation that more players tested for the substance comes about a week after FIFA president Sepp Blatter had acknowledged that fact in an interview conducted in Spanish.
The five original players to originally test positive were Guillermo Ochoa, Sinha, Christian Bermudez, Edgar Duenas and Francisco RodrÃguez. Those players were removed and replaced from Mexico's Gold Cup team.
What do you think of this development? Think the players should be named? Does this taint Mexico's Gold Cup victory?
Share your thoughts below.
4-2!!!…
Mex again!
Why would you want to submit again to another humilliation!!!
Clenbuterol, No home support, Spanish ceremony, Jonathan Bornstein.
Nice excuses.
USA fans confirmed for butthurt over another final loss.
Haha..wow..How does 9 players containing traces disprove the claim that it was contaminated meat. If anything it should help shouldn’t it. I mean much of the team eats together during training, so it should seem ridiculous that only 5 had it in their system. But now people are saying the whole team doped, when it obviously makes more sense that all those 9 players ate at the same place, but consumed different amounts of food. Understand people, that the 5 players in the first place, had very very low amounts of it in their system. They were simply called out for it, because it was in their system, no matter how little it seemed. Now, it seems like a very bad idea to release the other 4 names, so that people like those conspiracy theorists *honduras cought* cry about the situation. No matter if it was 4 insignificant players, people will be like “yeah that’s why we lost, because that one mexican dude was drugged up”. How, does the US loss get justified by any doping. Mexican players were just able to get around the US with ball control, not overpowering. Heck, the US team is “stronger” than Mexico, so that should not even be an issue. Mexico wasn’t just out running the US as it is said, they completely outplayed them.
All these people stating wikipedia “facts” on here, trying to prove their point are being very selective about the information they put. How about including this:
“In February 2009, at least 70 people in one Chinese province (Guangdong) suffered food poisoning after eating pig organs believed to contain clenbuterol residue. The victims complained of stomach aches and diarrhea after eating pig organs bought in local markets.[13][14]
In March 2011, China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said that the government would launch a one-year crackdown on illegal additives in pig feed, after a subsidiary of Shuanghui Group, China’s largest meat producer, was exposed for using clenbuterol-contaminated pork in its meat products. A total of 72 people in central Henan Province, where Shuanghui is based, were taken into police custody for allegedly producing, selling or using clenbuterol”
My point is, people are going to make whatever excuse benefits them. From a skill point of view, mexico is the best team in the CONCACAF.
re. Clenbuterol, it’s a performance enhancement drug
1. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20017227-10391704.html
2.http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/a/What-Is-Clenbuterol.htm
here’s a quote from that link “Clenbuterol, also called “clen,” is considered a performance-enhancing drug and is banned in most athletic competitions.”
hey, I’ve congratulated Mexico, but this is clearly a case of contaminated meat? Hardly! 9 players? and that’s not epidemic? and if it’s all a bunch of nothing, then why not release the other 4 names?
don’t worry Mexican fans, Mr. Blatter is already sweeping all this under the rug for you. Mr. Blatter as your apologist…nice.
The tainted meat claim does provide excellent cover for these players, though, no doubts there 🙂
I guess somebody forgot to tell Jones and Bedoya.
I thought FIFA had a zero tolerance policy moving forward!!… This sounds like more then tainted chicken…
FIFA need to take a serious look at it. Did this substance help with player recovery after a match? If so, it is a serious offense.
FIFA already came out and supported the fmf. They (their chief doctor) says it must have been food because several of those that tested positive arrived literally the day before the test from different clubs. odds are very unlikely. Also, Mexico informed FIFA of all 9 positives BEFORE the results were made public. A decision to separate the five was mad to be extra carfeful. The president of Mexico has come out and supported the fmf and claimed the beef was tainted. Nothing sill come of this nor should it.
At least they test their players for drugs. Did any other team did it? I guess their plan was to use drugs, test their players and turn them in. That sound feasible.
If there is one thing Americans have is honor, at least I hope that is true. Stop looking for excuses.
no it just supports their case that the tests are the result of tainted meat….its totally conceivable since teams would eat meals together at the national training center. The victory is not tainted, this was bound to come out since is was not very likely that only the original five players would have eaten the contaminated meat present at the training center.
To Martha above me:
Thank you very much for the history lesson. I guess these kids are cheaters because people who played before some of them were born, tested positive, huh? So i guess the USMNT are also cheaters because Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez used roids huh? Please take the loss, and stop making very ridiculous arguments. The drug is called Clenbuterol not clenbutral. And no i don’t agree with what the kids did (hookers) but that is neither mine nor your business. You don’t even like the Mexican National Team but you’re quick to judge them, instead of congratulating them on their 4-2 win. Please, stop with ridiculous assumptions because i bet you watch 3 soccer games a year and try to act like a qualified critic. Cheers.
Strip Cheating Mexicans!!! Dont forget they were banned from a WC for playing overage players AND some of their players tested positive for steroids in the Confederations cup.
Either they are cheaters or maybe clenbutral can be sexually transmitted by hookers.
If I were me I would have done them hookers too.
If our players were dirty cheaters like the Mexicans and took performance enhancing drugs, we would have won. Unfortunately for us, American soccer players have integrity.
+1
good point
+1. this news sucks any way you slice it. and what is the response from officials? none, just sweep it under the rug
Plus, why are people making a big deal out of the prostitution scandal. I guess the US lost because Mexicans were getting their jimmy wet huh?
Maybe Mexico’s endurance could be due to them actually being fit, unlike the US. I mean, it wasn’t like they struggled against the US. They were getting shot after shot. Why would anyone choose to use clembuterol when there are other drugs available that do a much better job. I mean, they must’ve know they were gonna test positive right? The United States shouldn’t worry about the confederations or Gold Cup right now. First they need to qualify for the world cup, because to tell you the truth, it looks as if Mexico, Costa Rica, and Honduras, not to mention Panama, can take their spot.
Doping scandal with beef and prostitution scandal is no big deal. All it proofs is that the Mexican team likes meat.
you can have the medals and change the books but you get to keep the butt kicking you took on the field.
Mexico has to be punished in some way.
Bornstein is freakin’ living in Mexico…why couldn’t he have eaten some of this dang chicken??!!
Well if FIFA really want to change there sorry image atm then they will do something about this just to prove there not inept organization. If this where to happen in A European cup there would be widespread coverage of this and it would be a scandal.
It figures. I guess now we know why Mexico’s national team suddenly improved so much. If the USMNT did this, everyone would be crying bloody murder over it, but since it is the Mexicans, it is okay. FIFA is such a wonderful organization
no its not, remember it was Blatter himself that leaked the additional contaminants, so he knew about this during the tournament. He also said FIFA completely supports Mexico in this mishap.
+1
Absolutely. This is an endurance related PED. Something is incredibly fishy and it’s not the prostitutes in the bedroom.
No matter what all Mexican fans say, they cheated and do not deserve to be champions. Pathetic!
Good point!
Don’t forget Hernandez, who was probably not tested.
This is one of the more stupid comments I have seen posted on this board. Mexican players doping (or not) has NOTHING to do with Bob Bradley.
Keep BB.
They may be trying to sweep it under the rug but they turned their own players in since the testing was done by the Mexican federation not Concacaf or FIFA.
Even if not intentional the title is still “tainted”, they were able to run nonstop until the end and our guys were dead.. At least something should be said on their win, would be nice if they’d at least release who were caught.
That must have been one big chicken….
First, don’t try and argue that this decided the match or provided better endurance. Frankly, I suspect it all was due to chicken/beef that was inadvertantly consumed.
And that’s irrelevant.
Second, it’s a banned substance. Now either FIFA needs to makes exceptions by concluding there are too many countries where it gets into the food stream and just set an acceptable limit or reduce the penalty or make a player sit out and then get a clean test (out of their system). Or FIFA needs to say “it’s one of the many banned substances and when you fail your drug test you get penalized.”
Consider this as test case. A team won a FIFA sanctioned NT competition and not 1 or 2 players were affected but nearly half the freaking team. FIFA needs to either cut Mexico some slack (and set the precedent) or step in and act. Doing nothing undercuts the drug testing by justifying arguments that “it was in the food” or “someone must have put it in my water” or “the stadium was next to a chemical plant and I must have inhaled something” and then where are you with positive drug tests?
I faxed Team USA about it a couple of days before the game, after Sepp Blatter inadvertently confirmed what others had leaked. If they had bothered to ask Mexico or FIFA, they could have made guys sit out. The four names thing is a cruel joke, because cyclist Alberto Contador has people trying to ruin his career over 50 picograms. The five named players had way more than that, and the four others could have had ten times as much and not been punished. His CAS hearing was to end on the 8th, and thie 5 were announced on the 9th. It was postponed, and soccer could force WADA to change the rules and save him.
Damn! That explains their excessive running for 90 minutes without gassing out. I remembered before Mexicans use to run out of gas around the 70ish minute. But in this cup it seem they never got tired. They pressured in offense & defense without a break… Hhmmmm. Barrera & guardado maybe? Interesting.. I’m just saying.
My dad who is not very familiar with steroids told me that he thinks the mexican team could be on some drugs.lol … he’s like, they don’t seem to stop running for one second.
Next cup I’m going to hold a sign that reads, “Got Meat!” or “Vaca Loca!”
They might get to four again, but I really doubt we would get to two again.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the test was entirely optional — the FMF didn’t have to administer it. So I wouldn’t go too overboard in criticizing them for the results.
Let Mexico keep the title…..its tainted (pun hella intended) and give us the confed spot 🙂
please let this happen, please let this happen, please let this happen…
CHEATERS, plain and simple!!!! Those dudes on the Mexico team were very energetic considering they had just played Honduras and went to OT. They never showed any signs of fatigue against the US or Honduras. This is a short tournament with games back to back, yet, Mexico looked like Machines!!! It almost seemed as if the US games was the first of the tournament. If it’s not intentional doping, then why don’t the FMF gives us their names?
re-play the game.
The best part of this story is the amount of people using the word “taint”…..it makes me giggle inside every time.
From Wikipedia:
“Use as performance-enhancing drug
Clenbuterol has also been used as a performance-enhancing drug, since it is medically classed as a Beta 2 sympathomimetic steroid. In 2010, three cyclists were also accused of taking the drug. Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain tested positive for the drug at the 2010 Tour de France. The news came out during the UCI Road Cycling World Championships held in Geelong, Australia.[4] In May, the UCI suspended Italian cyclist Alessandro Colo, and Chinese rider Li Fuyu, a member of Team RadioShack, was suspended after testing positive for the drug during a Belgian race. A number of athletes were also banned after using the drug, including British hurdler Callum Priestley, Chinese Olympic judo champion Tong Wen and Polish canoeist Adam Seroczynski.
American swimmer Jessica Hardy tested positive at the U.S. trials in July 2008. She served a one-year suspension, having claimed she unknowingly took the drug in a contaminated food supplement. Former New York Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski admitted to distributing clenbuterol to dozens of current and former Major League Baseball players and associates in his plea deal.[5]
Polish sprint canoer Adam Seroczyński was disqualified for taking this drug after he finished fourth in the K-2 1000 m event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and Chinese cyclist Li Fuyu tested positive for it at the Dwars door Vlaanderen race in Belgium on March 24, 2010.[6]
In the 2010 Tour de France, Alberto Contador tested positive for clenbuterol. He claims it was due to food contamination, citing the 50 picogram (5 × 10−11 g) per millilitre concentration of the drug in his sample. He was handed a one-year suspension from competition by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC). On February 14, 2011, Contador was cleared of doping by the Spanish cycling federation, which canceled its January 26 proposal for a one-year ban.[7] Traces of the amine from meat in the diet is regularly turning up in athletes’ blood.[8]
In September 2010, St. Louis Cardinals minor league shortstop Lainer Bueno received a 50-game suspension for the 2011 season as a result of testing positive for clenbuterol.[9]
In June 2011, Mexican Football Federation suspended Mexico national soccer team players Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Antonio Naelson, Christian Bermudez, Edgar Dueñas, and Guillermo Ochoa after having tested positive for Clenbuterol.[10] In a second testing at UCLA, results came back negative. However, the five players are awaiting re-testing of their initial, positive sample.”
Apparently this PED enhances endurance. Mexico came back froma 2-0 deficit rather spectacularly. Wouldn’t enhanced endurance help that.
Why is this not a bigger deal?
This is a definite possibility.
If the Mexican Federation intentionally withheld a positive doping offense (an as there is no “bottom” limit for clenbuterol, any amount found is a positive) no matter for what reason. They (The Mexican Fed) have committed a violation.
The violation could/should result in a forfeiture of wins for the Mexican team. This could give the runner-up (the US) the title and slot at the confed cup.
This is very serious.
I don’t trust Mexico. If the Mexican FMF wants to sweep this under the rug then it will be difficult to prove anything. I would love to get a random sampling of the Mexican population to see how widespread clenbuterol is in the country. But this is something that will need to be watched carefully in the future. Mexico, you’re on notice.
Were they playing better soccer if it was enhanced? Remember how everyone expected them to be tired after a semi game that went to overtime? But they never looked tired. They ran and ran and ran. Kept their composure. Played high energy right up to the last.
Just sayin’
Yes, if we can’t beat them on the field, let’s beat them on the administrative side. Mexico may play better soccer than us, but we have better laws than Mexico.
HC
His very short tenure at Bayern Munich was fine. Actually, the fact that Klinsmann demands more control and change over a program is one reason I like him. He wouldn’t be just another lame coach for the US, but he might actually change things.