The CONCACAF Cup is on! On Tuesday the United States and Mexico announced their provisional rosters for the most eagerly anticipated friendly of some consequence since the last U.S.A.-Mexico match.
All kidding aside the match will determine which team will represent CONCACAF at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. The match will take place on October the 10th at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
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Although both teams were allowed to call in 35 players, only the United States reached the limit. Mexico will bring in just 32 players. Both sides will need to cut their roster size to 23 by October the 1st.
Nineteen of the players selected for both rosters come from Major League Soccer with Giovanni Dos Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy) being the lone member of EL Tri playing in the United States and Canada. Interestingly enough Liga MX’s representation in the match at least for now eclipses MLS with 20 players. That includes four players from the USMNT: defenders Ventura Alvarado (Club America,) Greg Garza (Atlas,) and Michael Orozco (Tijuana,) and midfielder Joe Corona (Veracruz).
If representation matters, perhaps MLS can use Rafa Marquez as an alumni to even the score? No, New York Red Bulls supporters are probably okay with letting him go
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FULL ROSTER:
MEXICO
GK (4) – Guillermo Ochoa (Malaga/Spain); Moises Munoz (Club America/Mexico); Alfredo Talavera (Toluca/Mexico); Jonathan Orozco (Monterrey/Mexico)
DF (10) – Paul Aguilar (Club America/Mexico); Diego Reyes (Real Sociedad/Spain); Rafael Marquez (Hellas Verona/Italy); Hector Moreno (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands); Miguel Layun (Porto/Portugal); Hector Herrera (Porto, Portugal); Oswaldo Alanis (Guadalajara/Mexico); Arturo Rivas (Tigres/Mexico); Miguel Herrera (Pachuca/Mexico); Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres/Mexico)
MF (9)
Israel Jimenez (Tigres/Mexico); Andres Guardado (PSV Eindhoven; Netherlands); Jose Juan Vazquez (Leon/Mexico); Jesus Duenas (Tigres/Mexico); Javier Aquino (Tigres/Mexico); Jonathan Dos Santos (Villarreal/ Spain); Luis Montes (Leon/Mexico); Carlos Pena (Leon/Mexico); Javier Guemez (Club America/Mexico)
FW (9) – Oribe Peralta (Club America/Mexico); Raul Jimenez (Benfica/Portugal); Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad/Spain); Carlos Esquivel (Toluca/Mexico); Jesus Corona (Porto/Portugal); Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany); Elias Hernandez (Leon/Mexico); Jurgen Damm (Tigres/Mexico); Giovani Dos Santos (LA Galaxy/United States)
USA
GK (4) – Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/England); Bill Hamid (D.C. United/USA); Tim Howard (Everton/England); Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake/USA)
DF (12) – Ventura Alvarado (Club America/Mexico); DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo/USA); Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City/USA); John Brooks (Hertha Berlin/Germany); Geoff Cameron (Stoke City/England); Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC/USA); Greg Garza (Atlas/Mexico); Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy/USA); Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana/Mexico); Tim Ream (Fulham/England); Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City/England); DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland/England)
MF (12) – Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake/USA); Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes/France); Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/Canada); Joe Corona (Veracruz/Mexico); Mix Diskerud (New York City FC/USA); Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany); Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution/USA); Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt/Germany); Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution/USA); Danny Williams (Reading/England); Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy/USA); Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City/USA)
FW (7) – Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/Canada); Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC/USA); Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy/USA); Aron Johansson (Werder Bremen/Germany); Jordan Morris (Stanford University/USA); Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes/USA); Bobby Wood (Union Berlin/Germany)
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