Sven-Goran Eriksson has announced his 25-man roster for the opening match in the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and among the players selected in his first game in charge of the tricolor is none other than Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco.
Mexico begins the round when they take on Honduras at Azteca Stadium on Aug. 20.
Blanco, who was named MVP of last month's MLS All-Star Game, has scored 34 goals in 97 international appearances but hasn't featured in the Mexican national team for more than a year, since playing in both the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America last summer.
Despite Blanco's age (35), Eriksson has been impressed with the attacking midfielder's play in Major League Soccer, having scouted him in person. Blanco is a veteran of two World Cups, won a Confederations Cup with Mexico in 1999 and his nine goals behind Jared Borgetti for most all-time for Mexico.
Blanco is one of 12 foreign-based players called in by Eriksson, a remarkable number for a team that for long was completely comprised of players from the FMF Primera Division. Most are defenders, including captain Rafael Marquez from Barcelona, Ricardo Osorio from Stuttgart (Germany), Aaron Galindo (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany) and two from PSV in the Netherlands, Carlos Salcido and Francisco Javier Rodríguez.
New Tottenham Hotspur signing, 19-year-old Giovani Dos Santos, is part of the midfield, as is Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart) and Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain). Guardado is joined by teammate Omar Bravo, fellow Spanish-based striker Guillermo Franco (Villarreal) and Carlos Vela, who plays for Arsenal FC in England.
Also included in the team is Brazil-born, 30-year-old midfielder Leandro Augusto, a naturalized Mexican who has played in the country since 2000.
The team will convene at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento (High Performance Center) outside of Mexico City on Sunday, Aug. 17, though a handful of the European-based players will arrive in Mexico on Monday.
Mexico is in Group 2 in the second round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, along with Honduras, Canada and Jamaica in CONCACAF's so-called "group of death."
"I think that qualifying for the World Cup is an obligation for Mexico, without doubt," Eriksson said at a press conference last month. "I think Honduras have a good team, but Mexico are better and we have to win. We don't have much time but we have to work."
MEXICO ROSTER (vs. Honduras, Aug. 20, 2008)
GOALKEEPERS: Oswaldo Sánchez (Santos); Guillermo Ochoa (América); José de Jesús Corona (UAG)
DEFENDERS: Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart); Rafael Márquez (Barcelona); Aarón Galindo (Eintracht Frankfurt); Fausto Pinto (Pachuca); Jonny Magallón (Guadalajara); Carlos Salcido (PSV); Francisco Javier Rodríguez (PSV); Edgar Castillo (Santos)
MIDFIELDERS: Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur); Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart); Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul); Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña); Fernando Arce (Santos); Leandro Augusto (UNAM); Francisco Torres (Santos); Luis Pérez (Monterrey)
FORWARDS: Guillermo Franco (Villarreal); Omar Bravo (Deportivo La Coruña); Carlos Vela (Arsenal); Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire); Matías Vuoso (Santos); Carlos Ochoa (Monterrey)
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
