El Tri looks set to play several crucial games and friendlies in the coming weeks as they take on the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers and the FIFA Confederations Cup. In anticipation of that, Mexico National Team head coach Juan Carlos Osorio announced an expanded roster comprising several national team regulars that made the team. He unveiled a thirty-two man roster on Wednesday as Mexico prepares to take on two crucial World Cup qualifiers games. The El Tri are set to face the Honduras National Team on Thursday, 8 June before taking on the United States in Mexico City three days later.
Home base players dominates El Tri preliminary squad
Prior to the two World Cup qualifying encounters, Mexico will play two friendly games, locking horns with Croatia on Saturday, 27 May before facing Ireland on Thursday, 1 June. Several notable players were listed on the provisional squad, including Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez, Miguel Layun and Andres Guardado. Central defender Rafael Marquez was also named to the squad despite injury worries. The squad consists of fourteen foreign pros and seventeen home base players.
A few players, including LA Galaxy midfielder Giovani Dos Santos, will skip the two friendly games before joining up with the rest of the team for the World Cup qualifiers. Carlos Osorio is also expected to use the same squad to execute the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup, which is slated for Saturday, 17 June through Sunday, 2 July in Russia.
Here's a complete list of the thirty-two players being called up. I also indicate the various clubs they play for:
Unveiled thirty-two man roster
Goalkeepers — Guillermo Ochoa (CF Malaga/Spain), Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul/Mexico), and Alfredo Talavera (Toluca/Mexico). Defense Lineup — Nestor Araujo (Santos Laguna/Mexico), Diego Reyes (CF Espanyol/Spain), Oswaldo Alanis (Chivas/Mexico), Raul Lopez (CF Pachuca/Mexico), Luis Reyes (Atlas/Mexico), Hector Moreno (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), and Carlos Salcedo (ACF Fiorentina/Italy).
Midfield Lineup — Jesus Duenas (Tigres UANL/Mex), Jorge Hernandez (CF Pachuca/Mex), Andres Guardado (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Jonathan Dos Santos (CF Villarreal/Spain), Hector Herrera (CF Porto/Portugal), Erick Gutierrez (CF Pachuca/Mexico), Miguel Layun (CF Porto/Portugal), Elias Hernandez (Leon/Mexico), Orbelin Pineda (Chivas/Mexico), and Jesus Molina (CF Monterrey/Mex).
Attacking Lineup — Jurgen Damm (Tigres UANL/Mex), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany), Jesus Corona (CF Porto/Portugal), Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany), Giovani Dos Santos (LA Galaxy/USA), Raul Jimenez (Benfica/Portugal), Oribe Peralta (Club America/Mexico), Jesus Gallardo (Pumas/Mexico), Hirving Lozano (CF Pachuca/Mex), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad/Spain), and Javier Aquino (Tigres UANL/Mex).
