LIVE - Mexico vs. Ecuador: Starting XI - Chicharito starting on the bench once again

by
Kevin Granja / Reuters

The team sheets are out at AT&T Stadium, where Mexico will take on Ecuador in yet another tune-up for the World Cup.

To the delight of those who wish to see Mexico deploy a starting lineup without any 41-year-olds, Cuauhtemoc Blanco will not be starting as Wednesday's friendly against Israel was his farewell party on the international stage. 

Instead, Miguel Herrera is inserting Giovani dos Santos into Mexico's starting 11, a move that indicates the relationship between the two is better than it has been in recent years. Javier Hernandez will start on the bench yet again and one can only wonder why he continues to be omitted from the team's starting lineup.

Herrera is also making a switch between the posts, opting to start Guillermo Ochoa over Jesus Corona, who started for Mexico on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ecuador's starting lineup indicates that Reinaldo Rueda is using the friendly to get a sense of what strikers to bring to the World Cup. Felipe Caicedo, who will surely be in Brazil next month, is on the bench, with Fidel Martinez, Jaime Ayovi, and Joao Rojas all being squeezed into Ecuador's traditional 4-4-2.

Mexico starting XI:

Ochoa; Aguilar, Marquez, Rodriguez, Moreno; Pena, Herrera, Mones, Guardado; Dos Santos, Peralta

Ecuador starting XI:

Banguera; Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, W. Ayovi; Castillo, Mendez, Montero, Martinez; J. Ayovi, Rojas

Advertisement