MINNEAPOLIS, MN.-
The Mexican soccer team, led by Javier Aguirre, will be tested this Saturday against a Spanish Valencia, which arrives with several absences, at the <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/04/necaxa-takes-advantage-of-a-mistake-and-triumphs-in-puebla/" title="Necaxa takes advantage of a mistake and triumphs in Puebla“>Cuauhtémoc stadium in Puebla, a city in central Mexico.
In the absence of finding top-level teams, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) had to close an unusual friendly match against the Valencians, second to last in the LaLiga standings.
The duel raised criticism among fans and local media, in addition to the fact that it has had low ticket sales, some of which were sold at 2×1 to encourage their purchase.
Despite this, ‘Vasco’ Aguirre will try to take advantage of one of his two games on the FIFA date in October, in which El Tri will also host the United States next Tuesday, in Guadalajara.
Aguirre, in his second call since returning to Mexico last July, called the country’s main figures active in European football, among whom Guillermo Ochoa, goalkeeper of the Portuguese AVS Futebol SAD, stands out; César Montes, center back for Russian Lokomotiv; Rodrigo Huescas, side of the
Danish Copenhagen; Edson Álvarez, midfielder for English West Ham, and Raúl Jiménez, for English Fulham.
Along with them, the former Spanish Mallorca strategist gave his first call-up to the senior team to the Mexican-American Obed Vargas, from the Seattle Sounders, and to the naturalized Mexican Argentine Germán Berterame, attacker for the Rayados del Monterrey.
Valencia does not come to the match with a positive present, since after the first nine games in the 2024-2025 LaLiga season it has one victory, three draws and five defeats, to occupy the penultimate position, in relegation positions.
In addition, he made the trip to Mexico with a reduced roster of 20 players, in which many of his main figures will be absent, striker Hugo Duro and captain José Luis Gayà, injured; the goalkeepers, the Macedonian Stole Dimitrievski and the Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili, who are with their national teams, and Diego López, Javi Guerra and Cristhian Mosquera, concentrated with the Spanish under-21 team.
In fact, Baraja will have to field a goalkeeper who has not yet made his debut with the first team, either Vicent Abril or Luis Romero, who is sixteen years old and is still in youth age, a position as unguarded as the left back, in which neither Gayà nor Jesús Vázquez are there.
However, Valencia does arrive with fifteen players from the first team and, despite the goal and the left back, Baraja must bet on a guaranteed eleven that gives minutes to less common players in the squad such as Maximiliano Caufriez or Sergi Canós, who could earn an opportunity on the other side of the Atlantic.
However, the match will not be the only purpose of their visit to Mexico, as before, the Valencian expedition will hold several events with sponsors in Puebla and, at the same time, will meet again with the family of Octavio Augusto Milego Díaz, one of the founders. of the club in 1919 and second president of the entity, in addition to paying tribute to former Valencian player Andrés Guardado in the run-up to the match.
The match will serve Mexico, qualified for the 2026 World Cup by hosting, along with the United States and Canada, preparation for the Concacaf Nations League.
– Probable alignments:
Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa; Bryan González, Jesús Orozco, Johan Vásquez, Rodrigo Huescas; César Huerta, Edson Álvarez, Marcel Ruiz, Roberto Alvarado; Germán Berterame, Raúl Jiménez.
Coach: Javier Aguirre.
Valencia: Vincent Abril; Foulquier, Yarek, Caufriez, Abajas; Martín Tejón, Pepelu, Barrenechea, Canós; Almeida, Dani Gómez.
Coach: Rubén Baraja.
Referee: To be appointed.
Stadium: Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, central Mexico.
Time. 20:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
