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.