Reinforcements should be on the way for Mexico's Gold Cup roster.
FIFA will allow Mexico to replace the five players who were suspended for a positive test for clenbuterol, according to the Associated Press.
Guillermo Ochoa, Francisco Rodriguez, Edgar Duenas, Sinha and Christian Bermudez all tested positive for the substance on May 21, blaming the test results on contaminated meat. They all tested negative for the substance a week ago, but the case is still being investigated, and the players will be banned until conclusions can be drawn.
"Given that we still don't know if it was an accident or not, FIFA has authorized CONCACAF to allow Mexico to replace these five players at the Gold Cup," FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said. "It isn't a very effective drug, and that's why this case raises so many questions.
"It's very strange to see so many players testing positive for a substance like this at the same time, but both FIFA and WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) have decided that these footballers cannot play for the time being."
Mexico played its final two games of the group stage with a 17-man roster and coasted to first place in Group A. Mexico, which has not yet named the five replacements, will face Guatemala in a quarterfinal match Saturday night.
What do you think of this development? Do you think Mexico should be permitted to replace the players?
Share your thoughts below.
You didn’t answer the question posed by the USMNT…why is it an advantage?
1) “The 30-man roster was a prior agreement” – With Mexico, the players were “caught doping” prior to the tournament. They have been removed by the FMF, not FIFA, nor CONCACAF…ergo, Mexico was not cheating and no prior agreement needed prior to the competition. Doping tests were also done on the 5 the day after the May results were in, showing that they did not have any traces of clembutrol(sp?) in their system.
2) “We earned the advantage” – BS, Mexico has played the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup at the same time too…but they weren’t granted a 30-man roster before. That’s why the USMNT defended their 30-man roster. They knew from the start it was “unfair”.
3) “The five already played vs El Salvador, so through the course of the competition Mexico would have 28 players available to compete.” – BS. Mexico, even today, has not been able to count on 28-man roster. Osorio left before day 1 so at most it would be 27-man roster. Also, they have been playing with 17-man roster until today. I think they’ve spotted the rest of the competition enough of a handicap.
But w/e, 27, 17, 10-man Mexican roster. The rest of the competition isn’t much of a challenge to the 2011 Gold Cup Champions.
Not joking.
Rogers – can’t apologize for him, but he’s not dressing
Davis – love him, especially as a Houston resident and Dynamo fan, but wouldn’t see the pitch over Dempsey, Donovan, Bedoya or Kljestan
Torres – wouldn’t start over Bradley, Jones, Edu, Kljestan or Bedoya
G. John – no national team experience
Omar – wouldn’t start or beat out Tim Ream as #1 central sub
Bornstein – stepped up in ’07 GC and WC… those brownie points haven’t worn off yet.
Whitbread – no national team experience since U20… probably wouldn’t have been released by Norwich City
Chandler – wasn’t released by Nurnberg
Convey – wouldn’t start before Lichaj or Bornstein
Gomez – wouldn’t start before Altidore or Agudelo.
Bunbury – same as Gomez
Holden – injured
DeMerit – injured
Feilhaber – injured
So, who’s missing that would actually have seen playing time in a 3rd group match (assuming the US won the first two).
*played or were available vs El Salvador
The five already played vs El Salvador, so through the course of the competition Mexico would have 28 players available to compete. I don’t think that’s fair to the other teams, especially given the fact that Mexico is missing the players due to disciplinary action.
With this decision, maybe every team should give under-performing players a little banned substance in their dinners. That way apparently they’ll be able to bring in fresh reinforcements for all the suspended players.
The US were granted the 30-man roster *before* the competition given that they were involved in two official competitions in the same summer. It’s a lot different, simply given that: 1. the 30-man roster was a prior agreement and 2. we earned the advantage.
Err I mean I recall only have 23 players
I recall only having 30 players?
+1
w/e…this is what the US said during last year’s Gold Cup, when they were allowed 30 players on the roster. “It’s not an advantage, it’s not like we can field all 30 at the same time”.
Are you on Clambuterol?
Mexico is playing with a 17 man roster!!! Plus 5 would make 22!!!
Ochoa, “Maza”, Sinha, Bermudez, and Duenas are NOT coming back!!!!
Any questions?
The “dopers” are OUT of the game dopey!!!
Mexico is one of the very few who test players voluntarily before competition. If the US have doped themselves you will never know, UNLESS the players are picked to pee in a cup after the match for the anti-doping. That’s a completely different movie… Roberto!
Not fair at all. Mexico’s result vs El Salvador stands, which is fine. But now if they add another 5 players they’ll have an advantage over the rest of the teams in the tournament, as they’ll effectively have 28 players available at some point in the tournament or another compared to everyone else’s 23 max.
Amen
I just think it’s kind of harsh to blame the US lack of goals on Wondo, when others have had many more (easy) chances and missed them, too. Sadly, his teammates don’t have too much confidence in him either because Jozy had an opportunity against Guadaloupe where he could have passed to Wondo who had a wide open net, but instead he tried to go for the glory of a second goal and shot straight at the keeper (who of course, stopped it easily). No question that the new players need to prove themselves, but the veteran players you depend on need to share in the blame if they don’t live up to their reputations, too.
Bro… your joking right? Adu, Rogers, & Bornstein had no right being on this squad. Brad Davis, either Herc Gomez or Edson Buddle, & either Zak Whitbread, George John, or Omar Gonzalez deserved a shot way before then. One of the most shocking decisions I have ever seen from Bradley tbh. He went for Rogers & Bornstein who are on some of the worst form they have ever been on over players who are on pretty good form who could definately be helping us in the starting 11 or subs atm.
Jozy is also setting up chances and moving well off the ball, not that Wondo isn’t moving well of the ball, but his ability as a “poacher” is why he’s on the team, and if you can’t finish, you’re not much of a poacher..
Brad Davis, Convey, Gomez (who would have bagged two or three by now…
Why? Because he holds the ball up well and gets our outside mids into the attack.
Yes we should hire more ruud guilt’s and arron winters cause they have done so well. Europeans are the only answer you are right, they are the only people that know how to play the game.
Oh so now that jozy was gifted a goal by the keeper and finished one oppurtunity he’s god again? The only reason jozys not missing chances is because he doesn’t create any.
How is the US getting worse by the game??? Fire that coach. Os that hard to hire a european coach who can teach these guys to play through the middle rather than trying to header in every ball!!! US looks like the old Mexico team! A coaching change did wonders for them!
I agree brad davis should have gotten a shot, we could use someone taking corners, but the rest of your post makes no sense. You obviously have not watched bunbury or torres in recent months. Bunbury has looked less than impressive in mls and definetly played his way off the roster. Wondo on the other hand is coming off a golden boot season and is in great form. You’re right there is a reason why bunbury scored internationally before wondo has and that’s because wondo played up top alone with no help. Bunbury came in and scored on a pk that juan agudelo won, hardly a good performance. I’m pretty sure wondo would have scored if he was given a pk. Torres has barley made it off of pachucas bench and to be honest has done just as much as klestjan and rogers has for the usmnt. Who cares if bunbury is younger than wondo? We need players who can help us win this tourny.
Stellar? No, but he has found the back of the net this tournament. Even then, the two have more than earned the right to have off games here or there. The White Crayon has not.
FIFA showing their third world bias again!
If this happened to US they would be out for the cup w/o any replacements.
I’ll say it again : dopers out of the game!!!
Pass the chicken – whatever the Mexican team is eating, the US needs to be ordering off that menu!
nicely said d
Sacha has been great so far. Take off the blinders.
+1
Yeah, because veteran international player Dempsey has been so stellar in his finishing, and veteran international World Cup wonder Donovan has really been in the thick of every game, neither of them missing any easy shots either. Always so easy to blame the newbie, isn’t it!
Torres is better than Rogers, Kljestan and Wondolowski put together. I know Sacha has had some semi good moments including a nifty pass to Deuce for one of his many misfirings. But he has also gone from the guy who gives up the ball or passes it back to the center backs with the slightest sign of on the ball pressure, to the guy who just gives up the ball with no one really on him, just 5 or 10 feet ahead of him waiting to guess his passing lane, dude is turnover machine.
Bunbury is younger, faster and more accurate than Wondo is at the present time considering their USMNT careers there’s a resson why Bunbury scored before Wondo did and why he’s progressed past anything Wondo did until now which is about what 5 years longer than Bunbury’s been around? Hell I would take Buddle or Gomez over him?
Brad Davis would of been better than Rogers or Kljestan, I know hindsight is 20/20 but he’s pretty much spot on set pieces and Landon has been lagging it
I just saw this on twitter:
“I’m dubbing Wondolowski “The White Crayon”. Always in the box. Never leaves a mark.”
I would settle for him just going away and losing a player on the roster. A 22 man US roster with no Wondo would do wonders!
Who all is missing exactly that isn’t injured? Jose Torres and Mix Diskerud are below Bedoya and Kljestan in terms of performance and midfield pecking order.
Jozy’s pulling his weight at striker, and replacing Agudelo with Buddle and Gomez wouldn’t likely make too much difference.
Then again, I’d rather have Benny Feilhaber in a boot or Stuart Holden on crutches than Robbie Rodgers.
The U.S. Should report a positive test for Wondo, we could use a replacement..
I bet Bob wishes some oh his guys at the same stuff so he could switch them out. Probally best if he selects the right squad originally
Fair enough. Mexico is supporting us against CFU corruption in CONCACAF.
should not be a factor. Mexico’s current roster(17 players) look unstopable.