Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 6y

Ex-U.S. youngster Jonathan Gonzalez in Mexico squad to face Bosnia

Former United States youth international Jonathan Gonzalez has been included in Mexico's squad to face Bosnia & Herzegovina in a friendly next Wednesday in San Antonio.

Dual U.S.-Mexico national Gonzalez filed for a one-time switch from the United States earlier this month and the Mexican federation received the paperwork to allow him to play on Wednesday.

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio also handed Pachuca attacking midfielder Victor Guzman his first call-up, as well as Tijuana goalkeeper Gibran Lajud.

But there was no room for experienced Club America striker Oribe Peralta, or Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jesus Corona, regulars who were left out by mutual consent in order to be rested, according to Osorio.

The Colombian included MLS-based players Giovani dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos and Carlos Vela and praised their fitness work in the offseason.

"After seeing them work, we believe that Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos and Jonathan dos Santos should be in the squad," Osorio said, in his first press conference of 2018.

There was no place for Atlas captain Rafa Marquez, who is back playing regularly in Liga MX, but was one of 22 people sanctioned last August by the U.S. Treasury as a result of a multiyear investigation into a drug trafficking organization. Marquez's lawyer stated back in October that the 38-year-old wasn't allowed to play matches in the United States.

The Mexican federation also announced on Thursday that El Tri will face Denmark on June 9 in Denmark in what is scheduled to be the team's final preparation match ahead of its World Cup opener on June 17 against Germany.

Only players from Liga MX and MLS were called into the squad due to the friendly not falling on an official FIFA international date.

The Mexico squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Rodolfo Cota (Chivas), Gibran Lajud (Xolos), Jonathan Orozco (Santos Laguna)

Defenders: Oswaldo Alanis (Chivas), Nestor Araujo (Santos Laguna), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Luis Rodriguez (Tigres), Edson Alvarez (Club America)

Midfielders: Jonathan dos Santos (L.A. Galaxy), Jonathan Gonzalez (Monterrey), Jesus Gallardo (Pumas), Victor Guzman (Pachuca), Jorge Hernandez (Pachuca), Orbelin Pineda (Chivas), Jurgen Damm (Tigres)

Forwards: Javier Aquino (Tigres) Giovani dos Santos (L.A. Galaxy), Elias Hernandez (Leon), Henry Martin (Club America), Rodolfo Pizarro (Chivas), Alan Pulido (Chivas), Carlos Vela (LAFC)

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