Top Stories

Chicharito, Guardado called up for upcoming El Tri World Cup qualifiers

JavierHernandezAndresGuardadoMexico1-JapanConfederationsCup (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Javier Hernandez and Andres Guardado have earned a recall to the Mexican National Team.

Both players were included on a list of seven European-based players that Jose Manuel de la Torre selected for Mexico’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and the United States. Both Chicharito Hernandez and Guardado were left off El Tri’s roster for their friendly match in New Jersey against the Ivory Coast due to injury, but even though Hernandez hasn’t featured for Manchester United yet this season, he’s been deemed fit enough to join his national side.

Also included on the list are FC Porto duo Hector Herrera and Diego Reyes, Villarreal pair Javier Aquino and Giovani Dos Santos, and Espanyol’s Hector Moreno. Only Dos Santos, Moreno, and Reyes were in Mexico’s squad this month to face the Ivory Coast.

Noticeably absent is Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa, who reportedly rejected a call to join El Tri because he wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot. Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela has continued to be left off the Mexico squads as well.

Mexico currently sit in third place in the CONCACAF Hexagonal, with eight points from six games. The side have yet to win a game on home soil in 2013, but they’ll have a chance on September 6 when they host Honduras at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Four days later, they’ll travel to Columbus, Ohio to face the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Guardado’s inclusion in the squad squashes reports that he would miss out on the upcoming matches, either due to poor form in the calendar year or the ankle injury he picked up this summer. His club Valencia initially sent out a release of players this week who had earned international call ups and Guardado wasn’t on it. But by the end of this week, the Spanish club sent out a new release, with Guardado’s name on it.

——–

What do you make of these developments? Do you believe Guardado and Hernandez are fit enough to start for El Tri? Do you see Mexico winning at Azteca against Honduras?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Goalkeeper controversy!!!

    Memo and Orozco are both great, either should be able to do the job but Memo has so many endorsements and history with el Tri – he is not going to listen to Chepo and watch from the bench

    Similar starting situation with Guzan and Howard, both could do it and have! But their roles have always been well established and they have respect for the coach and his plans. Mexico’s locker room is a mess right now – i dont know how the FMF allows this to continue.

    Reply
    • The difference is that Hernandez can cut it on the international level and wondolowski can’t. Also Wondolowski isnt scoring for Man Utd even from the bench

      Reply
      • Making the bench? The following guys could easily make the bench at Man U: Howard, Guzan, Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Jones, and maybe even Fabian Johnson. And I love Altidore, but he’s not cracking the bench with all the current strikers they have. Nearly any other team he could make the bench though.

      • Dempsey couldn’t even make it to the bench at the Spurs and he is the best player after Donovan and Bradley, don’t act so deluded.

      • He couldn’t? That’s funny, since he played in 29 games for Spurs last year. I’m fairly certain that a player that towards the end of the season was starting or playing in every game for Tottenham, could make the bench at Man U.

        The biggest misnomer ever was that Dempsey wasn’t playing at all for AVB, and washed out of the EPL. He was playing, starting, and SCORING for what wound up being the 5th best team in the EPL last year. That is not being deluded, that is acknowledging facts and reality. Try it sometime!

      • Then why is it that I’ve never heard of ManU looking at any of those players? Anyone can say that a player could cut it on a team like ManU, Barcelona, Madrid, etc, but until they aren’t even actually being signed or approached its all conjecture. And pretty delusional at that.

      • Jeff is right…
        Those American players are good, but were are talking about Man united, not any other barclay team.
        i’ve never seen those players in man united, Chicharo even scored 18 goals last season in Man U, even after being on bench and playing 45 mins or less.

      • Never said that Moyes is looking to sign them. Just that based on quality, they could make the bench.

      • Yes, Dumpsey scored 12 goals last season, Hernandez 18
        (from the bench)
        its funny how these guys try to compare a Man United bench player and make it seem like it sucks to be there.
        There are only 3 dominating teams in Barclays league ;
        Man united, Man City, Chelsea,
        Spurs is not one of them.

  2. Mexico fans know their team suck at the moment and their coach has one of the weirdest personality and attitude. Even mexico fans are calling for ligamx players and not european players because the european players are having a negative start. In mexico, they r comparing mexicos coach to bob bradley and bruce arena, no emotions and no creation and love klins personality. As a matter fact, mexico wants bielsa or

    Reply
    • While I agree that most El Tri fans are not happy with how the team has performed and even pissed off at Chepo for his ridiculous tactical decisions, where do you get that European based players aren’t playing well? In two games Gio has two goals and one assist. Moreno just played this weekend in the best game Espanyol have had since Aguirre took over. Ochoa was named to the best XI in France for Ajaccio’s game against PSG. Herrera has played well with Porto.

      Reply
    • There defiantly is a bad vibe coming from some of the European based players. Obviously you got problems with Memo y Vela but who knows if some others are no meshing with Chepo…

      As pumped I am to Chepo get crushed in Columbus, it would be ever more entertaining to see that little gopher Herrea jumping around on the sidelines.

      Reply
  3. Mexico has two surprisingly good keepers, Ochoa was great against Monaco the other day, Corona’s been their best player. Still weird decision by Ochoa.

    I have no idea why anybody would want Mexico to qualify-there are narrow cases where it makes sense to root for a rival (to get into the playoffs, to qualify for the Champion’s League, to have a non-SEC team win the BCS, etc.) but the US doesn’t benefit from Mexico going. A good US showing without Mexico being present could be the turning point in getting Mexican-Americans to choose the US over El Tri.

    Moreover, it doesn’t really benefit CONCACAF in any way-Mexico has had players achieve success with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United-because of that success their players are perceived as different than Central American players, Mexico doing well doesn’t spill over into fewer barriers to entry for Hondurans. If anything, having 3 Central American teams in the World Cup increases the chances one of them makes it out of the group stage, something that would benefit CONCACAF.

    Also….it’s Mexico. Think about all the beer you’ve had poured on you, or worse, bottles thrown at you, Rafa Marquez, the overconfident, self-aggrandizing fans, and tell me you want Mexico in Brazil.

    Reply
    • Without competition the US wont get any better. Cocacaf benefits from Mexico and Mexicans doing well internationally by getting more recognition. If they can do it why cant othet players that compete agaonst them. There are many other reasons but hopefully you get it.

      Reply
      • Mexico doing well has zero effect on the market value/acceptance of other CONCACAF teams’ players-Mexico’s unique size, history of (relative) success at the international and club level (Mexican’s abroad) mean their players are bracketed off and perceived as “Mexican” not “Latin North American”, so Costa Ricans don’t benefit from Mexico doing well.

        The combination of 1) the US attracting more Latino fans/youth players and 2) Central American teams having more teams to do well in Brazil if Mexico doesn’t qualify (which would build up CONCACAF) massively outweighs any nebulous benefits Mexico doing well gives the other Central American teams.

      • Any benefit the US gets from Mexico doing well has already been realized. For 2014 I don’t see Mexico qualifying or not having much to do with the US.

        My impression is neutrals who are impressed by Mexican soccer don’t necessarily make the CONCACAF connection, anymore than those impressed Equador or Bolivia think CONMEBOL.

    • he is going to be axed even if Mexico qualifies directly, it is pretty similar to the 98 WCQ when Mexico was first in the hex but the coach was fired because the way the team was playing.

      Reply
    • With 8 points from six games Mexico have four games to get another 8 points since 16 is the so called magic number.

      That means losing to Honduras would put them in great peril since they would then would certainly have to beat the US in Columbus to have any shot at Brazil. I’d like to see that because it sure would make for a great game.

      And the two games after that are hardly sure wins either.

      Reply

Leave a Comment