GUADALAJARA, Mexico — With the US national team’s friendly against Mexico looming on August 10, four Americans South of the Border are set to face each other this weekend.
San Luis’ Michael Orozco Fiscal has been forthright in expressing his desire to return to the national team fold and could well be given the challenge of marking countryman Hérculez Gómez on Saturday night as los Potosinos welcome Estudiantes Tecos in their Apertura 2011 home opener.
The 25-year-old, on loan with the Philadelphia Union last season, said in late June that one of his goals was to get back in the USMNT player pool.
Equally keen for a call-up, Gómez told MLSsoccer.com last week that it would “mean the world” to him to get to play for the US against Mexico.
Both San Luis and Tecos lost last weekend and will be looking to pick up their first points of the season Saturday. Orozco Fiscal and Gómez are both set to start the game.
Gómez’s two former Mexican clubs, Pachuca and Puebla, clash Sunday, pitting Texan José Francisco Torres against newcomer to the Mexican league DaMarcus Beasley. Torres, 23, has 11 US caps to his name but hasn’t represented his country since last summer’s World Cup. Beasley was a regular figure in the national team until he fell out of favor at Hannover 96 and was relegated to watching games from the sidelines.
Spirits are high in and around the Puebla camp after a fine display away at Atlas last weekend but it has been doom and gloom at Pachuca after their preseason bubble was burst during the team’s 4-1 loss at home to Santos. Again, both Torres and Beasley should start the game.
Elsewhere, Joe Corona and his Tijuana teammates face a tricky trip to Monterrey on Saturday evening; Jonathan Bornstein travels with his Tigres UANL team to Querétaro where he will be hoping for his first minutes of the season.
Meanwhile, Club América duo Isaac Acuña and Edgar Castillo play at Toluca on Sunday. Sonny Guadarrama’s Atlante travel to Santos Saturday evening and Miguel Ángel Ponce and his Guadalajara side play at home against Adrian Ruelas’ Jaguares in the last match of the weekend on Sunday evening.
Tom Marshall can be reached at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com or via Twitter: @mexicoworldcup
