Earlier this week, the Mexican Football Federation released the 40-man preliminary roster for the upcoming Copa America Centenario. Creating the list is no easy task, and things will soon become more difficult for head coach Juan Carlos Osorio when he selects his final 23-man roster for the tournament.
With the list of 40 players in mind, let's take a look at a few noteworthy names who didn't make the cut:
Alan Pulido, FW, Olympiakos
The 25-year-old was the most glaring omission from the list. During 2016, Pulido has become a vital player to Olympiakos, with six goals and three assists in all competitions helping the side win the 2015-16 Greek Superleague.
Despite his good form, Osorio ultimately decided to leave Pulido off the list. The manager stated that due to the striker's ongoing legal conflict with Tigres, which also might have kept the player from a reported move to MLS earlier this year, he would prefer to wait until the situation with Pulido's former club is resolved.
At just 25 years of age, Pulido still has time to fight for a spot with Mexico before the next World Cup, but he will have to wait until after this summer's competitions.
Jair Pereira, DF, Chivas
With fellow central defender Carlos Salcedo working alongside him, Pereira has looked fantastic this season for Chivas. The two have formed one of the strongest defensive partnerships in the league and have been a big reason for the Guadalajara side's stingy defense, with only 16 goals allowed in 16 matches. While Salcedo was given a call-up by Osorio, Pereira was ultimately left off the 40-man list.
There is a chance that Osorio was looking for a defender with more national team experience at right center-back. The 29-year-old is a Liga MX veteran, but hasn't played with El Tri since the 2013 Gold Cup. Other options like Diego Reyes and Rafael Marquez have more experience with the national team and likely have more trust from Osorio.
Unfortunately for Pereira, his defensive partner from Chivas is also in the running for a spot in his position. Salcedo, who played as a right center-back for Mexico in February's 2-0 friendly victory over Senegal, appears to be another one of the manager's favorites.
If Pereira continues his excellent form, the Chivas defender may one day move past an aging backup veteran like Marquez. Until then, he will have to continue to deliver good performance sin Liga MX.
Hugo Ayala, DF, Tigres
Tigres fans might have been left a bit confused after not seeing Ayala's name in the 40-man roster. The 29-year-old has 24 international caps to his name and had regained his starting role earlier this season as one of Tigres' central defenders.
An argument could be made that Los Auriazules are having a disappointing season, but the club is still one of the best defensive teams in the league. With 19 goals allowed in 16 games, only Chivas and Pachuca have allowed fewer goals in the Clausura. It's also key to note that fellow Tigres defenders Israel Jimenez, Jorge Torres Nilo and Jose Rivas all made the cut on Osorio's list.
Yet, like Pereira, there was no room for the right central defender on a roster that also includes Reyes, Marquez and Salcedo. Ayala has long been a fringe option for Mexico during the past few years, but has struggled to solidify a key place in the lineup for El Tri. And as long as Reyes and Marquez continue to be in the spotlight for the national team, it will be difficult for Ayala to play any importance.
Erick Gutierrez, MF, Pachuca
On Apr. 13, Pachuca announced that Gutierrez suffered a muscle injury and would require three weeks to recover, and apparently due to the injury, the midfielder was the only member of the previous Mexico call-up to not be included in Osorio's 40-man list. However, the 20-year-old is now once again practicing with Pachuca and might be in full health before the national team meets to begin training for the Copa America on May 15.
Osorio's move to leave out the injured player was justified, but it will be interesting to see how fans respond if the youngster has a standout Liguilla with Pachuca. Along with a few other names, Gutierrez could have been one of the players to feature in both the Copa America and the Olympics for Mexico.