FILE – Betis’ Andrés Guardado celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal in the European League round of 16 first leg match between Zenit and Betis at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia, February 17, 2022. Guardado will miss Mexico’s World Cup qualifier against the United States next week with striker Rogelio Funes Mori and defender Julio César Domínguez. Guardado, the Mexican captain, injured his thigh while playing for Betis against Atlético Madrid on March 6. (AP Photo/Mike Kireev, File)
PA
Midfielder Andrés Guardado will miss Mexico’s World Cup qualifier against the United States next week along with striker Rogelio Funes Mori and defender Julio César Domínguez.
Guardado, the Mexican captain, injured his thigh while playing for Betis against Atlético Madrid on March 6. Funes Mori has injured his right leg and hasn’t played for Monterrey since March 5.
Goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera, defenders Jesús Alberto Angulo, Héctor Moreno, Israel Reyes and Jorge Sánchez, midfielder Edson Álvarez and forwards Eduardo Aguirre and Santiago Giménez have been added to the 29-man squad announced by the coach on Thursday evening. Tata Martino.
Midfielder Uriel Antuna, who missed the November qualifier against the United States in Cincinnati, is on the list after playing in the January qualifier in Jamaica.
LA Galaxy defender Julián Araujo is on the list after making his Mexico debut in a December 8 exhibition against Chile – a year after playing his only game for the United States. He came on as a second-half substitute in the February 2 qualifier against Panama.
After the March 24 game at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, El Tri plays in Honduras three days later and ends at home to El Salvador on March 30.
Seeking their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, Mexico are third in North and Central America and the Caribbean with 21 points, four points behind Canada and behind the United States on goal difference. Panama is fourth with 17 points, followed by Costa Rica with 16 and El Salvador with nine.
The top three nations secure places for this year’s tournament in Qatar and fourth place qualify for the playoffs in June against Oceania champions, likely New Zealand.
The list :
Goalkeepers: Rodolfo Cota (Leon), Guillermo Ochoa (America), Jonathan Orozco (Tijuana), Alfredo Talavera (Pumas)
Defenders: Jesús Alberto Angulo (Tigers), Julián Araujo (LA Galaxy, USA), Néstor Araujo (Celta Vigo, Spain), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk, Belgium), Jesús Gallardo (Monterrey), César Montes (Monterrey), Héctor Moreno (Monterrey), Israel Reyes (Puebla), Jorge Sánchez (America), Johan Vásquez (Genoa, Italy)
Midfielders: Edson Álvarez (Ajax, Netherlands), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Érick Gutiérrez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Héctor Herrera (Atlético Madrid, Spain), Diego Lainez (Betis, Spain), Rodolfo Pizarro (Monterrey), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Luis Romo (Monterrey)
Forwards: Eduardo Aguirre (Santos Laguna), Jesús Corona (Sevilla, Spain), Santiago Giménez (Cruz Azul), Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton, England), Hirving Lozano (Napoli, Italy), Henry Martín (América), Alexis Vega (Chivas )
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
