GUADALAJARA, Mexico — José Francisco Torres and Edgar Castillo (above) are set to clash this weekend in Mexican Primera DIvisión action just before the two of them are due to meet up with the US national team in Los Angeles to prepare for the Sept. 2 friendly against Costa Rica at the Home Depot Center.
Torres’ Pachuca comes into the mid-table clash against Castillo’s América on Saturday (8 pm ET, TeleFutura) on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Estudiantes Tecos. América forward Isaac Acuña returns to the first team again following a week's ban for indiscipline.
The other US national team call-up based in Mexico, Michael Orozco Fiscal, will be hoping to start after warming the bench for much of last week's game as San Luis welcome Sacramento-born Miguel Ángel Ponce and overall league leaders CD Guadalajara on Saturday (9:45 p.m. ET, TeleFutura).
Meanwhile, 2010 World Cup veteran Herculez Gomez travels with Estudiantes Tecos to Cancún to face Atlante on Saturday (10 pm ET, broadcast on Galavisión delayed until 11:30 pm ET), a week after he scored a last-minute winner. Texan Sonny Guadarrama got his first minutes of the season last weekend and should be on the bench for Atlante.
Recent Mexico Under-22 call up Joe Benny Corona looks set to play for Club Tijuana as they welcome Querétaro to the border city in a massive relegation clash on Sunday (3 pm ET, ESPN Deportes).
DaMarcus Beasley will have been disappointed not to be among Jurgen Klinsmann’s second round of USMNT call-ups after being summoned earlier this month. But he will be looking for another solid performance when Puebla take on a reeling Morelia side in the last game of the weekend in the Mexican top flight on Sunday (7 pm ET, Fox Deportes).
Tigres UANL travel to struggling Atlas on Saturday (9:45 p.m. ET, Galalvisión) with Jonathan Bornstein still waiting for his first minutes of the season.
In Mexico's second division, Marco Vidal's Club León take on Lobos BUAP on Sunday (1 pm ET).
Further south, former University of Virginia goalkeeper Diego Restrepo was due to don the gloves for América de Cali as the Colombian league kicks off in earnest this weekend, but América's game against Quindío was postponed due to the unavailability of the Red Devils’ stadium.
Tom Marshall can be reached at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com or via Twitter: @mexicoworldcup
