Younger Mexico aspect returns to Copa America7 min read

Jimmy Lozano isn’t afraid of creating some robust selections.

In naming his preliminary squad for the Copa America, the Mexico supervisor has ensured that youth is being served and meaning a lot of El Tri fixtures received’t be on the aircraft to the US.

Ten of the 31 gamers on the roster are 23 and below with Lozano holding one eye on the 2026 World Cup – which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the US – in his considering. It’s going to develop into evident rapidly if Lozano’s gambit has paid off in what must be a really winnable Group B alongside Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica.

This summer season’s event marks a return to the competitors for El Tri after not having been invited on the final two. Mexico has participated in 10 earlier Copas and has been a power in most of them. Exterior of 2015 and an totally disastrous 2011 look, Mexico has reached the knockout spherical in each Copa they’ve been in, they usually have twice completed as runners-up, in 1993 and 2001.

El Tri received’t be within the event to make up a quantity – they’re going there to make some noise.

A midfielder in his taking part in days, Lozano was capped 37 instances by El Tri and competed at Copa in 2007. He took the helm of the nationwide workforce forward of final summer season’s Gold Cup the place Mexico would declare a ninth title, defeating Panama 1-0 within the last on a purpose from Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez.

However what was notable about that squad was that it wasn’t chosen by Lozano himself. The roster choices have been made by his predecessor, Diego Cocca, earlier than he was fired within the wake of El Tri’s drubbing within the 2023 Concacaf Nations League semi-finals by the hands of their archrivals, the USMNT. This Copa, then, would be the first main event the place Lozano places his fingerprints on this system.

Veterans lacking

One among Mexico’s most recognizable gamers, Memo Ochoa’s 150 caps are third-most in nationwide historical past and probably the most ever amongst goalkeepers. However the 38-year-old netminder received’t have the chance so as to add to his variety of appearances the Copa. The Salernitana man is just not part of Lozano’s roster, largely because of having misplaced his beginning job on the relegated Serie A aspect.

In his stead is a trio of inexperienced keepers with solely 4 caps amongst them and all 4 of these belong to the identical participant. America’s Luis Malagon made his senior debut final summer season and was the selection in between the wickets as Mexico beat Honduras on penalties final fall to qualify for the Copa. Becoming a member of him are the uncapped 33-year-old Julio Gonzalez of Pumas and Chivas’ Raul Rangel.

A trio of European-based gamers be part of seven from Liga MX to make up the defensive corps. Cesar Montes has skilled relegation in back-to-back seasons in La Liga, first with Espanyol and most just lately with Almeria, however the 27-year-old centre-back will doubtless be trusted to marshal Lozano’s central defence. It’s simple to see why Montes was engaging to European groups after having led Liga MX in dribblers tackled in 2021-2022 at .783 in his last season with Monterrey.

His potential companion is Genoa’s Johan Vasquez, who has performed alongside Montes since their days within the Beneath-23 aspect. On the appropriate, Lozano might flip to Ajax’s Jorge Sanchez, who spent final season on mortgage with Porto. Gerardo Arteaga, who returned to Mexico with Monterrey in January after 4 seasons with Belgian aspect Genk, is anticipated to start out at left-back. Rounding out the backline are Israel Reyes of America, Monterrey’s Victor Guzman, Jesus Orozco of Chivas, Toluca’s Brian Garcia, Bryan Gonzalez of Pachuca and Necaxa’s Alexis Pena.

Edson Alvarez is the straw that stirs the drink for El Tri in the course of the park. A flexible participant that may be employed at each midfield and within the again, the 26-year-old West Ham man already has 76 caps to his identify. Simply as succesful as profitable a ball again as he’s main the assault ahead, Alvarez additionally supplies an aerial risk on set items. A robust event from Alvarez can solely imply good issues for Mexico.

The remainder of the midfield doesn’t function a single participant 30 or older, with AEK’s Orbelin Pineda, Monterrey’s Luis Romo and Luis Chavez of Dynamo Moscow the elder statesmen at 28. They’re joined by Cruz Azul duo Carlos Rodriguez and Uriel Antuna, Chivas pair Roberto Alvarado and Fernando Beltran and Pumas duo Diego Lainez and Georgetown, Ont. native Marcelo Flores, who’s eligible for El Tri by means of his father, and Santos Laguna’s Jordan Carrillo. The lone uncapped identify within the midfield is 24-year-old Andres Montano of Mazatlan.

Modifications up entrance

It’s up entrance the place a few of Mexico’s largest names and seasoned performers received’t be current and Lozano has made his largest mark on the squad. Chucky Lozano is just not on the squad. The 28-year-old winger, who’s in his second stint with PSV, is extensively anticipated to hitch MLS growth aspect San Diego in time for his or her inaugural season subsequent spring. Lozano has 18 targets in 70 appearances for El Tri, however Jimmy Lozano (no relation) has determined to go in a unique course.

Fulham’s Luis Jimenez additionally misses out. Fifth all time in targets for El Tri with 33, Jimenez’s absence isn’t all that shocking for a few causes. The 33-year-old America youth product has solely made 49 appearances throughout all competitions over the previous two seasons with the Cottagers and Wolves, scoring a mixed 10 targets. He had seven targets within the Premier League this previous season, however all of them have been scored earlier than Dec. 31. Kind apart, Jimenez has not featured on a Mexico squad since November, having been handed over on three events.

The opposite key absence up entrance is Henry Martin of America. A purpose scorer on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Martin has 9 targets in 43 appearances. Martin was a member of the workforce that received the Gold Cup, the place he scored twice, and began each Nations League matches within the spring, however like with Chucky Lozano, Jimmy Lozano has appeared elsewhere.

The 5 gamers Lozano has chosen to make up his ahead complement have solely a mixed 13 worldwide targets to their names, however there may be purpose for optimism. Gimenez is a targets machine for Feyenoord. Whereas he solely has six targets for El Tri, the Buenos Aires-born striker has been a wrecking ball within the Eredivisie since transferring from Cruz Azul in 2022. Gimenez has 38 league targets over two seasons, together with 23 this previous marketing campaign, and 49 throughout all competitions. Lozano believes it’s solely a matter of time earlier than he comes good in a Mexico shirt.

He’s joined by Alexis Vega, who returned to Toluca in January following a contentious departure from Chivas, as the one different ahead with greater than six caps to his identify. The Mexico Metropolis native has six targets in 27 appearances. Additionally on the workforce are Pumas duo Cesar Huerta and Guillermo Martinez and Julian Quinones of America.

Mexico opens up its marketing campaign on June 22 in Houston in opposition to fellow Concacaf aspect, the Reggae Boyz.