Mexico announces call up list for start of World Cup qualifiers

Mexico have announced the call up list for the start of the World Cup Qualifiers. Coach Gerardo Martino called up 28 players for the three matches, which will start the qualification process for the 2022 World Cup. Mexico will start by hosting Jamaica in Estadio Azteca on September 2nd, a match in which there will be no fans because of the one-game ban because of the infamous chant during the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers held in Guadalajara. Mexico will then visit Costa Rica on September 5th, and close out the September qualifiers with a visit to Panama where they will play on September 8th.

The call up list was the following:

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (America), Alfredo Talavera (Pumas), Rodolfo Cota (Leon), Jonathan Orozco (Tijuana)

Defenders: Nestor Araujo (Celta de Vigo), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Jorge Sanchez (America), Luis Rodriguez (Tigres), Osvaldo Rodriguez (Leon), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey), Gilberto Sepulveda (Chivas), Jose Ramirez (Leon)

Midfielders: Edson Alvarez (Ajax), Andres Guardado (Betis), Luis Romo (Cruz Azul), Jonathan Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Sebastian Cordova (America), Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul), Uriel Antuna (Chivas), Carlos Rodriguez (Monterrey), Orbelin Pineda (Cruz Azul), Rodolfo Pizarro (Inter Miami),

Forwards: Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton), Jesus Corona (Porto), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey), Henry Martin (America), Alexis Vega (Chivas)

The most notable call up is the possible return to the national team of Raul Jimenez. Jimenez had not played in the Mexican NT since 2020 when he played during Mexico’s European tour before getting a bad head injury during an English Premier league game. The return might be in doubt since the EPL has announced it will not allow players from going to matches deemed to be in “red listed” countries, which are countries deemed to be high risk for COVID-19 by the UK government. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are all red listed. The other notable thing is that Hirving Lozano wasn’t called up. Lozano had a bad injury in the first match of the 2021 Gold Cup, which caused him to miss the rest of the tournament with a neck injury. The fact he barely has played a single match probably is the reason why he wasn’t called up during this cycle.

Of the many players missing, most are because of injuries. Diego Lainez has still not played after his injury in the bronze medal match of the Olympics. Hector Herrera has also been out because of an injury, as well as Hector Moreno who has yet to make his debut with Monterrey because of it. Erick Gutierrez hasn’t been called up, as he has yet to play this season with PSV Eindhoven with rumors being strong that he is being shopped around to be loaned out. One of the strange decisions is that Gerardo Arteaga of Club Genk wasn’t called up after skipping out of the Olympic tournament for personal reasons, but starting most of the matches in Belgium and after being a starter during the CONCACAF Nations League.

Of the notable player being called up are the first call up to Luis Ramirez of Leon, who had done well in Liga MX although he’s not necessarily playing at his best this season. There is also the return of Andres Guardado to the team after missing the Gold Cup because of injury. Overall the biggest addition is of 11 players who missed out on the Gold Cup to play in the Olympic tournament where they won the Bronze medal. It might be the addition that Martino needs after the disappointment of losing the Gold Cup final against a MLS based United States National team. Mexico will need to start on the right feet after the disappointment from the summer or things will heat up for Martino fast.