GUADALAJARA, Mexico – If Jurgen Klinsmann has any doubts about whether to call up members of the American contingent playing south of the border for the upcoming qualifiers, this weekend is the final chance for players to dispel them.
Puebla duo DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco Fiscal return to the scene of Wednesday’s Copa MX victory at Estadio Hidalgo to face Pachuca on Saturday in their push to make the playoffs (9 pm ET, UniMas).
On at the same time are Liga MX leaders Tigres UANL, and with Jose Torres fully rested after sitting out the Monterrey side’s 3-1 Champions League loss in Seattle, the Texan will likely be straight back in the team for the home match against Chivas (9 pm ET, Univision Deportes).
Following those two games are Herculez Gomez and his Santos Laguna side, who have a tough test away in Guadalajara against Atlas off the back of Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo (11 pm ET, Galavision).
In the late night game, also Saturday, Club Tijuana return from their long midweek trip to Brazil in the Copa Libertadores to host Monterrey at Estadio Caliente (midnight ET, Univision Deportes), with Joe Corona and Greg Garza available.
READ: Who among the Mexico-based Yanks has the best shot at making the US national team?
Phoenix native Ventura Alvarado has been on the bench recently for Club América and will be hoping for minutes when the Águilas take on the Liga MX’s bottom club, San Luis, in Saturday's early game (7 pm ET, Univision).
In the Ascenso MX, Marco Vidal’s Lobos BUAP travel to league leaders Universidad de Guadalajara (Fri., 10:30 pm ET), while Sonny Guadarrama’s Mérida play Jesus Padilla’s La Piedad (Sat., 9 pm ET).
Down in Costa Rica, Moises Hernández’s Saprissa go up against Belén Siglo XXI (Sun., 6 pm ET).
Finally, in Colombia’s top division, 21-year-old ‘keeper Kevin Piedrahita and his Itagüí side play away at Patriotas Boyacá (Sat, 4 p.m. ET).
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
