Veteran
defender Rafael Marquez was named Monday to Mexico's preliminary 28-player
squad for the World Cup, despite his advancing years and legal woes in a US
drug trafficking investigation.
Marquez, 39,
took a nearly three-month break from football after the US Treasury Department
accused him last August of being a "front person" for a drug
trafficking group based in the Mexican city of Guadalajara.
But coach
Juan Carlos Osorio said the former FC Barcelona player, who recently retired
from Guadalajara club Atlas, would bring invaluable leadership.
"Off the
pitch, there's no debate, he's the footballer who can bring the most to this
team," he said.
Marquez, who
will be playing in his fifth World Cup, was included in the squad as a
midfielder rather than a defender.
Brothers
Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos, who both play for the Los Angeles Galaxy, were
also named as midfielders.
Osorio's list
includes 12 players from European clubs and three from Major League Soccer in
the United States.
He plans to
announce his final list of 23 players on June 2, after Mexico's farewell home
match, a friendly with Scotland.
Mexico squad:
Goalkeepers:
Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege/BEL), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Jesus Corona
(Cruz Azul)
Defenders:
Carlos Salcedo (Einracht Frankfurt/GER), Nestor Araujo (Santos), Diego Reyes
(Porto/POR), Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad/ESP), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Oswaldo
Alanis (Getafe/ESP), Edson Alvarez (America), Miguel Layun (Sevilla/ESP), Jesus
Gallardo (Pumas)
Midfielders:
Jesus Molina (Monterrey), Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Hector Herrera (Porto/POR),
Jonathan dos Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA), Andres Guardado (Betis/ESP),
Erick Gutierrez (Pachuca), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Giovani dos
Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA)
Forwards:
Javier Hernandez (West Ham/ENG), Raul Jimenez (Benfica/POR), Oribe Peralta
(America), Jesus Manuel Corona (Porto/POR), Carlos Vela (Los Angeles
Galaxy/USA), Javier Aquino (Tigres), Hirving Lozano (PSV/NED), Jurgen Damm
(Tigres)
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