Guadalajara Takes On Guatemala in Soccer Final at Coliseum

These are trying times for Mexican soccer. Suspended from the 1988 Olympic Games and the 1990 World Cup for using over-age players in youth competition, the Mexican National Team has been handed one of the harshest punishments ever by FIFA, the world’s governing body of soccer.

Universidad de Guadalajara, a club team from Mexico, will try today to make Mexican soccer fans forget the troubles when it takes on the Guatemala national team for the Marlboro Soccer Cup Championship at 6 p.m. in the Coliseum.

Guadalajara, a last-minute replacement for the Mexican national team, will be going for its second consecutive title in the four-part Soccer Cup series. The Mexican club won the second tournament of the series in April at San Antonio.

The El Salvador national team, a 2-1 loser to Guatemala in the first game of the tournament Friday night, will play Ireland’s Olympic team for third place at 4 p.m. The Irish lost to Guadalajara, 3-0, in the second game Friday.

Guadalajara assistant coach Ruben Maturano said the suspensions imposed on Mexico were too harsh a punishment. He thinks too many people are being punished for the wrongdoing of a few.

“We are really sad,” Maturano said. “We didn’t do anything wrong. I would like FIFA to understand.”

Jaime Reyes, a 37-year-old defender who has played in Mexico for 17 years, said it is up to the club teams such as Guadalajara to restore the image of Mexican soccer by playing abroad.

“The only way we can give something to the fans in Mexico is to have the Mexican clubs represent the country in a good way in other countries,” Reyes said. “It is now the responsibility of the clubs to do well.”

Guadalajara’s opponent today--Guatemala--will go to the Olympic Games at Seoul next month in place of Mexico.