Many Decisions Left for Mexico
Mexico’s national soccer team, heading off to Europe and the 2006 World Cup in a couple of weeks, was training at the Rose Bowl on Thursday afternoon in preparation for tonight’s friendly international against Venezuela in Pasadena.
It was easy to tell which players are confident of making the trip and which are nervously awaiting the final roster cuts.
Some, such as striker Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca, were laughing and joking with media and fans. Fonseca, along with fellow forwards Jared Borgetti, Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco, is certain to be included among the 23 going to Germany.
Others, such as Brazilian-born midfielder Antonio “Sinha” Naelson of Toluca, were more tense. Sinha stayed far from the media, working instead at the opposite end of the Rose Bowl field, trying to show Coach Ricardo Lavolpe that he has fully recovered from knee surgery two months ago and is ready to go.
Lavolpe has tonight’s game at 8 and another against the Democratic Republic of Congo at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City next Friday night before trimming his squad from 26 to 23. The deadline for World Cup rosters to be turned in to FIFA is May 15.
Speculation has been rife in Mexico about just which three players would be left off Lavolpe’s list.
Because of his injury, Sinha’s name has been mentioned. So too have those of defender Joel Huiqui of Cruz Azul, midfielders Jamie Lozano of Tigres de UNL, Israel Lopez of Toluca and Gerardo Torrado of Cruz Azul and forward Jesus Arellano of Monterrey.
Arellano has clashed with Lavolpe over the use of naturalized players in Mexico’s team and has been quoted as saying he would not play alongside the likes of Sinha or the Argentine-born Franco.
Player and coach have since tried to patch up their differences, but the final cuts will tell the true story.
Lavolpe, himself Argentine-born, has a prickly relationship with the media and was not made available to reporters Thursday to discuss his roster choices. Assistant coach Jorge Campos, the former Galaxy goalkeeper, likewise opted not to talk.
Whichever players Lavolpe finally selects -- veteran Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez is expected to make the team -- Mexico has a better-than-average chance of advancing out of the first round in the June 9-July 9 world championship.
It plays Iran, Angola and Portugal in the initial round and is capable of defeating all three.
Chivas de Guadalajara goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, Club America midfielder Pavel Pardo, defender Rafael Marquez -- who this week won the Spanish championship with Barcelona -- and Borgetti of Bolton Wanderers in England are the four leaders on the team.
Pardo said the squad’s mood is upbeat.
“Right now we are excited,” he said. “We’re training very hard because all the players want to be in the World Cup. All the games are going to be difficult. The people think the [first-round] group is maybe a little easy, but I don’t think so. In the World Cup, all the teams are really, really good.”
A crowd of more than 50,000 is expected tonight and free shuttles have been arranged from the Memorial Park Metro Gold Line Station in Pasadena to the Rose Bowl.
