5 Big Surprises in Mexico Coach Miguel Herrera's Gold Cup, Copa America Squads
Mexico coach Miguel Herrera has yet to officially announce which players will make the Copa America and Gold Cup squads, but Fox Deportes' Ruben Rodriguez went ahead and gave the news on Thursday (in Spanish).
Copa America Squad
Goalkeepers: Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Meliton Hernandez (Veracruz).
Defenders: George Corral (Queretaro), Gerardo Flores (Cruz Azul), Adrian Aldrete (Santos) o Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres), Rafael Marquez (Verona), Julio Dominguez (Cruz Azul), Hiram Mier (Monterrey), Efrain Velarde (Monterrey), Carlos Salcedo (Chivas).
Midfielders: Javier Guemez (Tijuana), Juan Carlos Medina (Atlas), Luis Montes (Leon), Marco Fabian (Chivas), Javier Aquino (Rayo Vallecano), Isaac Brizuela (Chivas).
Attackers: Raul Jimenez (Atletico Madrid), Eduardo Herrera (Pumas), Matias Vuoso (Chiapas), Enrique Esqueda (Tigres), Javier Orozoco (Santos).
Gold Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Málaga), Moises Munoz (América) y Jonathan Orozco (Monterrey).
Defenders: Paul Aguilar (America), Adrian Aldrete (Santos), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres), Miguel Layun (Watford), Hector Moreno (Espanyol), Francisco Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Diego Reyes (Porto), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Oswaldo Alanís (Santos).
Midfielders: Andres Guardado (PSV), Jonathan dos Santos (Villarreal), Hector Herrera (Porto), Jose Juan Vazquez (León), Jesús Manuel Corona (Twente) y Jesús Dueñas (Tigres).
Attackers: Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal), Javier Hernández (Real Madrid), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad) y Oribe Peralta (America).
If nothing weird happens, the names on Rodriguez's lists won't change from those in El Piojo's; it's not the first time the reporter has done it, and his accuracy has been dead-on in the past.
So, taking that as a blueprint, there are some surprises in both squads, from players we thought would make one or the other team to those who hadn't even received a cap before.
Let's take a look.
Rafael Marquez: Copa America
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Yes, Rafael Marquez will be on the Copa America squad, which puts him as just one of three European-based footballers on that team.
Marquez will join eight Liga MX defenders, most of them still making their way in Mexico's first division.
The Verona centre-back hasn't appeared with El Tri since the 2014 World Cup, where he scored once against Croatia. Marquez was supposed to play against Ecuador and Paraguay last month, but a knee injury sidelined him.
Jonathan dos Santos: Gold Cup
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Jonathan dos Santos was supposed to be in the Copa America squad, but his performance against Paraguay cleared any doubts there might have been over including him for the Gold Cup.
The Villarreal midfielder has proved to be essential as a playmaker. He has an enviable touch and thinks out of the box.
Dos Santos completed 85 percent of his passes in the Paraguay friendly and recovered a couple of balls, according to Mi Seleccion Gamecast (in Spanish).
Matias Vuoso: Copa America
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Matias Vuoso will be the first naturalized footballer to appear with Mexico since Miguel Herrera took over the team in 2013.
The footballer has been sharp since he joined Jaguares in the 2014 Clausura. Vuoso used to be one of the top scorers in Mexican football when he played for Santos.
However, he faded away with America, then showed some of his old self with Atlas and has kept things going with Chiapas.
Vuoso is no stranger to El Tri, as he has worn La Verde 10 times from 2008 to 2010.
Diego Reyes: Gold Cup
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Diego Reyes had a very good game against Paraguay, but other than that, the centre-back hasn't been impressive lately.
He made a Champions League appearance with Porto but struggled quite a bit (yes, he played as a left-back, but he still lacked pace).
Reyes has been one of the few players who have appeared in every Mexico squad list since Miguel Herrera was appointed manager. It's true that El Piojo knows Reyes perfectly from their days at America, but the Porto defender needs to step up if he wants to make the starting XI.
Hector Moreno will probably lead the back line along with Francisco Rodriguez, while the last spot will go to either Hugo Ayala or Reyes. It should be an interesting choice for Herrera.
Javier Aquino: Copa America
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Miguel Herrera hasn't considered Javier Aquino for any game since October 2014, but he is expected to appear in the Copa America.
The Rayo Vallecano footballer has had a tough time in Europe. He failed to make an impact with Villarreal and was loaned to the Franjirrojos.
With his current club, he has appeared 21 times in La Liga but has only completed three games, according to Squawka.
Aquino used to be a key element in Mexico's U23 squad but couldn't keep the momentum going once he joined the senior team. Also, Hector Herrera became the first choice as the right midfielder, leaving Aquino on the bench.
All stats appear courtesy of the Mexican Football Federation, unless otherwise noted.
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