Mexican national team captain Rafael Marquez suffered a torn calf muscle and is expected to miss Mexico's World Cup qualifying showdown vs. the United States on Aug. 12.
Marquez suffered the injury while training with FC Barcelona ahead of Wednesday's exhibition vs. the Seattle Sounders. He is expected to be sidelined between 10 and 15 days, making a return for next week's qualifier highly unlikely.
Marquez had just returned from knee surgery, having seen limited action during Barcelona's pre-season.
What do you think of the news? Think the U.S. team can finally beat Mexico in Mexico? Is the Gold Cup horror still too fresh in your mind to get too optimistic about next week?
Share your thoughts below.
I wish we could get some audio visual of the press conference where altidore was announced.
too bad no freebie red card. I believe in the rest of the team to make up for it though with 2 red cards.
Altidore to Hull announced on Hull website. no biggie.
http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10338~1745321,00.html
Good thing about this:
Tim Howard won’t have to worry about Marquez’s cleats almost perforating his chest.
I think a real distinction needs to be made between Rafa the club player (excellent defender for Barca) and Rafa the Mexican National Team player (uneven performances with the occasional howler).
A representative comment from mediotiempo:
rafa marquez no qiere jugar con la seleccion.. ya se le subio.. pero no sabemos que.. el no hizo campeon al barcelona y no es envidia.. es la verdad.. cuando un mexicano le da la espalda a su pais.. no puedes apoyarlo… gracias rafa.. pero no te necesitamos.. hay muchos que si se parten el alma por su pais.. no queremos princesas ni barbies en la seleccion queremos hombress. que es lo que falta le hace.. y hombre no es el que se hace expulsar tirando un codazo.. hombre es el que mantiene la cabeza fria y cumple su trabajo los 90 mins… asi que rafa marquez… suerte en el barca.. no vuelvas…
Crap! So now who is most likely to pick up Mexico’s red card? I hope Sanchez is in goal.
Dman, I would love to know who you rate higher than Marquez in the CONCACAF
where’s the deuce
Marquez has easily been the best player in the CONCACAF for the past 5 years and that really is not up for discussion.
Posted by: japan | August 06, 2009 at 08:31 AM
for realizies!!!
I’m not one to make a mockery of people but wow the last 5 years that’s easily debatable
Yeah he sucks!
I especially remember the extraordinary goal he made against Argentina in the WC, that left los pibes with faces “de penedejos!”
You might also like to check the whole article that sport.es, the most important catalunian sport newspaper published yesterday!!!
But here’s a quote that sums it all up(for the few who speak Spanish)…’El central, el auténtico referente defensivo de Pep, acumula seis temporadas como azulgrana, finaliza contrato en el 2010 pero cuando llegue a Barcelona estampará una renovación que le permitirá seguir vinculado hasta el 2012.’
Keep on dreaming with Onyewu!
i see that DJ Josh is into Shark Week as well
Marquez has easily been the best player in the CONCACAF for the past 5 years and that really is not up for discussion.
I don’t even know if he’s any good any more since he’s been injured for over a year. Barca has moved on w/o him and so will Mexico.
This game will be about defense and counter attacking for the US and perhaps dead ball situations. I look for Goodson to be added if he’s over the illness and broken nose.
2-2
its gamesmenship… i think he will play
VIVAS GRINGOS!!!
I don’t care who is on the field en el Estadio Azteca, the US walks on to their bus victorious or with a tie. There is no way they lose this game.
Mexico is just a bucket full of chum, and the US is a 25 foot great white shark during feeding time.
back four* lol
salcido, galindo, magallon, and oscar rojas make a pretty solid make four.
I just have to say this because I keep seeing it. No one currently knows what so called “A” or “B” team Mexico had in the Gold Cup. Yes, there are 12 members on the team, but we do not know how many are starters, so you cannot label the team that was used. The Mexican coach could be looking to remodel the team and start bringing up the younger generation or he could just use the veterans. And yes, the American team will be completely different barring injuries. So the Gold Cup Final gives you no indications on what will happen at Azteca. The only things we can hope for the Americans is that 1) The team stays healthy, 2) The Team Shows up
The second point is really big because the United States consistently under-performs, or is unable to perform consistently at their best.
Now as far as Marquez goes, I like to see him in the matches, it just means Mexico will go down a man. Just makes me happy.
I guess other people have said it already, but I was really looking forward to him getting another red card against us.
Thanks Dan for bringing some civility into this. This guy is a starter for the best team in the world. He is past his prime but still is better than Gooch. And you are correct about US fan reaction if he were American. They went googoo over Gooch being a bench warmer at Milan. Imagine the meltdown here if they had a starter at Barca.
@undersood
I can see you don’t even follow Barca. Read interviews with Pep about Rafa and you will see how important he has been. Why do you think he has been there for so meany years.
If he was American people would not be saying he sucks. We don’t even have a player close to him. We have to be constructive. Many here are starting to sound like the typical Mexican fans where everyone else sucks expect their players.
i can’t wait til the game…
@dan…do you watch barca games…not talking preseason fluff…but for the last two years…when he hasnt been on the training table…hes been scuffling badly…plus he wouldnt be starting for barca if they had a vidic terry carragher…etc…barca is in a transition period with their CBs right now…marquez and puyol (plays a lot of fullback nowadays) being phased out…pique starting now…toure getting looks in the back…and as they do at every position they have a bunch of academy players waiting for their chance
Gold Cup was meaningless. How many U.S. players from that game will be on the field at Azteca? Zero.
I think that Marquez is probably faking it. He is afraid of losing, getting pissed, and then freaking out for the third time. He doesn’t want to get suspended for the future qualifiers. At least he has the intelligence to recognize his pattern of behavior.
During the Galaxy/Barcelona game, part of me was hoping that Cobi Jones would sprint across the field, jump in the air, and headbutt Marquez in the face.
What a piece of trash.
That blows. Rafa sucks. Hes good for one boneheaded play a game and Altidore n Landon blow right by him.
now they might start a defender who can actually defend.
GO USA – Marquez was at 20% when Donovan ran past him. IDK why people keep bringing that up. This is a huge loss for Mexico because his backup is Maza Rodriquez and he got injured at PSV so now they will go with Aaron Galindo and he sucks. So this makes Mexico its C team as US fans like alphabet teams. Altidore can take this Galindo guy.
Are you sure he didn’t get this injury the other day when Barcelona played the Galaxy and Donovan juked the hell out of him? Just sayin…
he’s been hurt a lot so i don’t think mexico has trained with him very much at all, so it won’t mess up their team chemistry. they could use his leadership, though.
i like seeing Donovan vs. Marquez – that’s always fun! now Land-O will just have to burn some other sweeper. heh.
after seeing his near full field assist in person at the galaxy-barcelona game (perfect pass, like, amazingly perfect, but just offside) I can say this pleases me that he wont be there.
i agree with freddie, MB, Luke, & JPC,
Too bad for us as fans of the USMNT and as critics of the theater.
Rafa isnt good? and overrated? come one guys give credit where is due. He is a starter on the best team in the world. He just sucks when he plays for mexico, i think is mostly because he gets too emotional.
Torrado is the new Marquez
Anything that shakes their confidence // puts doubts in their head, or gives them an excuse to lose — I like it.
Viva gringos.
i’m actually saddened by this….its just more fun to go up against this crazy man.
Honestly, who cares about the Gold Cup result? At least 10 out of 11 players are going to be different for us, and Mexico will have many different faces in as well. Gold Cup is over and it means nothing.
As for Marquez, I’d rather have seen him play in the game at less than 100%. I think they’re better off with him sitting out. They’ll still be tough to score on, especially for Bradley’s USA who likes to revert to ‘1-2 passes and then knock it really far forward and hope something good happens’ in tough environments.
too bad for us
I really wasn’t expecting him to play anyway.
i see some goalazos!!!!!!!!
i still think he’ll play.
easy understood, that’s getting personal. his pouting is a cherry on top of a victory, plus he’s not that good. can’t mark, does get caught out of position, and get’s way too emotional(in nat. games)
GOOD, i’ll take anything we can get
typically i’m i bit bummed when a team deasn’t have it’s full arsenal available, but it’s mexico, and i find myself chuckling.
i am a terrible person.
usa!
exactly what MB said. I was counting on a red card from him.
marquez is very overrated…as are most centerbacks who display the slightest bit of attacking ability…mexico will prolly be better off
Oh. Darn.
This is. Terrible.
Meh. Marquez is on my “wouldn’t p*** on him if he was on fire list” along with Carlos Ruiz, Oswaldo Sanchez, and the entirety of Italy.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco was on my list, but I enjoy the heart he shows for the Fire and has been granted a temporary reprieve.
Doesn’t matter, just means that a different Mexican will get a red card or at least embarass himself this time. I’m not worried about this game because at this point for us, this is just another stone on our path to South Africa. Mexico isn’t relevant enough anymore for me to stay upset about their near full strength squad pounding our two levels below full strength team. We will not lose.
This doesn’t make much of a difference for next week’s game. Marquez never plays well against the US anyway. Idk why ppl are worried about the USMNT, this is not a must win game and the Mexican team does not have an advantage in alent over the US as it once had. The US will at least tie. No worries.
this is bad news for the US. everytime marquez plays we win and he makes an ass of himself. i’m always happy to see little rafael in the lineup for usa v mexico.
gold cup horror still too fresh .. expect us to revert to pre-egypt form