Mexico announce 2014 World Cup squad

Mexico City, May 10 (IANS) Mexico’s chief football coach Miguel Herrera Friday unveiled the 23-member squad for the upcoming 2014 Brazil World Cup, June 12-July 13.

The line-up, announced at a press conference Friday at the headquarters of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), features three of Mexico’s best-known players, reports Xinhua.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who plays for England’s Manchester United, Giovani dos Santos, who plays for Spanish football club Villarreal, and veteran player Rafael Marquez, who will play his fourth consecutive World Cup, are all in the side.

“This list was made with my head and not my heart,” Herrera said. “I am looking for a team that has ball possession and is physically powerful. These 23 players know what it means to be champions.”

The team is slated to gather Monday night at Mexico City’s training camp for high-performance athletes, though some players are still competing for their individual clubs and will be joining later.

Mexico are in Group A and will play Cameroon (June 13), Brazil (June 17) and Croatia (June 23).

Before landing in Brazil, Mexico will play Israel in a friendly May 28 at Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium. They will then fly to the US for three friendlies against Ecuador, in Arlington, May 31; Bosnia Herzegovina, in Chicago, June 3; and Portugal, in Boston, June 6.

The squad: Jose de Jesus Corona, Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera (goalkeepers); Paul Aguilar, Andres Guardado, Miguel Layun, Rafael Marquez, Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes, Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Carlos Salcido (defenders); Isaac Brizuela, Marco Fabian, Hector Herrera, Juan Carlos Medina, Luis Montes, Carlos Pena, Jose Juan Vazquez (midfielders); Giovani dos Santos, Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Oribe Peralto and Alan Pulido (forwards)

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