Mexico Release Roster for Costa Rica, Chile Friendlies

The Mexican National Team, with interim coach Ricardo Ferretti back on the sidelines, have announced their 26-man squad that will wear the green-and-white jerseys during El Tri’s October friendlies.

The roster once again focuses on youth, but with seven European-based players mixed within, most notably highlighting Nestor Araujo’s return to the National Team after his late-March injury. Also included in the call-up is Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez, Porto’s Jesus Corona and PSV’s duo of Hirving Lozano and Erick Gutiérrez.

This is also the first-ever senior national team call-up for Chivas’ duo of Raúl Gudiño and José Carlos Van Rankin.

The full roster is listed below:

Goalkeepers: Hugo González (Necaxa), Gibran Lajud (Tijuana), Raúl Gudiño (Chivas)

Defenders: Diego Reyes (Fenerbahçe), Edson Álvarez (América), Nestor Araujo (Celta de Vigo), Jesús Angulo (Santos Laguna), Luis Rodriguez (Tigres), José Carlos Van Rankin (Chivas), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey), Gerardo Arteaga (Santos Laguna), Erick Aguirre (Pachuca)

Midfielders: Jonathan González (Monterrey), Erick Gutiérrez (PSV Eindhoven), Víctor Guzmán (Pachuca), Marco Fabián (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jesús Dueñas (Tigres), Javier Güemez (Querétaro)

Forwards: Jürgen Damm (Tigres), Isaác Brizuela (Chivas), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven), Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul), Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton), Ángel Zaldívar (Chivas), Henry Martín (América), Jesús Manuel Corona (Porto)

Mexico will face Costa Rica on Oct. 11 in San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon. Costa Rica, who was linked with former Chivas coach Matias Almeyda, is now one step away from signing former León, América and Atlas manager Gustavo Matosas.

El Tri will also battle Chile in Querétaro on Oct. 16. The last time these two teams met was in the Copa America Centenario on June 18, 2016, when Chile infamously beat Mexico 7-0, eliminating El Tri from the competition and also served as former manager Juan Carlos Osorio’s first-ever defeat with Mexico.

Losing games is no longer uncommon for El Tri, who have yet to win any match since their triumph over South Korea in the 2018 FIFA World Cup on June 23. Mexico is coming from two back-to-back losses against Uruguay and the United States in the team’s September friendlies.

What do you think of the call-up? Who was snubbed or who doesn’t deserve it? Let us know in the comments below

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