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Few surprises on Mexico’s World Cup roster

Mexico Coach Miguel Herrera shows off his World Cup roster.
(Yuri Cortez / AFP/Getty Images)
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Mexican Coach Miguel Herrera on Friday announced his 23-man roster for next month’s World Cup and it is heavy with players from Mexico’s Liga MX, including five from Club America, the team Herrera formerly coached, as well as 35-year-old defender Rafa Marquez of Leon, who was named captain.

But for the first time in 80 years the Mexican team does not have a player from Chivas.

Among the surprise selections is forward Giovani Dos Santos, a game-changing player from Spain’s Villarreal. Dos Santos has dealt with injuries this year and was thought to have fallen out of favor with the coach.

Other European club players chosen were keeper Guillermo Ochoa of French club AC Ajaccio; left back Andres Guardado of Germany Bayer 04 Leverkusen; defenders Diego Reyes (Portugal”s FC Porto) and Hector Moreno (Spain’s Espanyol); midfielder Hector Herrera of FC Porto; and forward Javier Hernandez of Manchester United.

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Just two of the 12 players from the midfield forward -- Dos Santos and Hernandez -- have previous World Cup experience.

The Mexican team will play three U.S. exhibitions against World Cup-bound squads before heading down to Brazil. Mexico faces Ecuador on May 31 in Arlington, Texas; Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago on June 3; and Portugal in Foxborough, Mass., on June 6.

The team:

Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Deportivo Toluca)

Defenders: Paul Aguilar (América), Andrés Guardado (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Francisco Javier Rodríguez (América), Miguel Layún (América), Diego Reyes (FC Porto), Héctor Moreno (RCD Espanyol), Rafael Márquez (León), Carlos Salcido (Tigres UANL)

Midfielders: Juan Carlos Medina (América), Carlos Peña (León), Luis Montes (León), José Juan Vázquez (León), Héctor Herrera (FC Porto), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Marco Fabián (Cruz Azul)

Forwards: Oribe Peralta (Santos), Raúl Jiménez (América), Javier Hernández (Manchester United), Alan Pulido (Tigres UANL), Giovani Dos Santos (Villarreal)

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