Just as the United States was hamstrung in its options for next week’s out-of-window friendly, so were Miguel Herrera and the Mexican federation when naming their 18-player squad for the upcoming game in Glendale, Ariz. Outside of a FIFA mandated release date, neither team’s Europe-based talents where available to its coaches, while midweek CONCACAF Champions League commitments mean a select group of North American-based players will also stay with their clubs.
For Herrera, that means Cruz Azul’s Jesus Corona is not an option in goal. Nor is Guillermo Ochoa, who will stay with his club in France (Ajaccio). With América’s Moises Munoz having steered the team through its World Cup qualifying players, Herrera’s squad still has a capable number one when it takes the field on Wednesday.
Another notable omission is Oribe Peralta - the Santos Laguna striker who is the most consistent goal-scoring threat in the pool. That consistency has often been undermined by injury, however, and according to Tom Marshall at Goal.com, Peralta has requested to sit this friendly out in light of a heavy 2014 work load (Santos is in Copa Libertadores). Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez will get a slight reprieve, though the acrobatics of Raúl Jímenez should still test the U.S. duo.
Here’s the full team that will face the U.S. next week at University of Phoenix Stadium:
Goalkeepers: Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Moises Munoz (America)
Defenders: Rafa Marquez (Leon), Francisco Rodriguez (America), Enrique Perez (Atlas) ,Juan Carlos Valenzuela (America), Miguel Ponce (Toluca), Miguel Layun (America), Paul Aguilar (America), Rogelio Chavez (Cruz Azul)
Midfielders: Juan Carlos Medina (America), Jesus Zavala (Monterrey), Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Carlos Pena (Leon), Luis Montes (Leon)
Forwards: Alan Pulido (Tigres), Raul Jimenez (America)
More on the U.S.'s squad: