Padres' Profar Hits Grand Slam After Early Dustup
June 25 (Reuters) - Mexico are set to square off against Venezuela in a crucial Copa America Group B encounter on Wednesday in Inglewood, California, where they could be without skipper Edson Alvarez following a hamstring injury.
The West Ham midfielder collapsed clutching his hamstring in the 30th minute of Mexico's 1-0 victory over Jamaica on Saturday, leaving the pitch in tears.
Despite manager Jaime Lozano not officially ruling out Alvarez, hinting at further tests on Tuesday, he acknowledged the need for other seasoned squad members to step up.
"I think we have many leaders," Lozano told reporters.
"Of course it is a hard hit to lose your captain in the first match in the tournament such as this one. But I think the team became stable very fast (against Jamaica). They gave a great performance."
Luis Romo, who stepped in for Alvarez and contributed to Gerardo Arteaga's match-winning goal, is tipped to start for 'El Tri' against Venezuela.
Mexico, who are playing their 11th Copa America, hold the record for the most appearances by any guest nation at the South American tournament.
As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico have earned automatic qualification, making this edition of the Copa America a significant part of their preparations.
"It is the most similar tournament to a World Cup for us," Lozano said.
"CONMEBOL has three world champions. There's a reason for that."
Top spot in the group is up for grabs in Wednesday's clash after Venezuela managed a 2-1 comeback win against 10-man Ecuador in their opening match on Saturday.
Venezuela's second-half comeback was spearheaded by goals from Jhonder Cadiz and Eduard Bello, with veteran striker Salomon Rondon providing the assist and playing a part in the build-up to the second goal.
(Reporting by Field Level Media; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
97fbe53a03a81bbf67d62e5bde581c0b British Columbia Nanaimo Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 250 729 8000html Galaxy Cinemas 813eafbed10e3ccbfa7dfde42fe556a3 British Columbia Nanaimo Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 250 729 8000html 177e8c790cb22ffea151344f107f67a1 British Columbia Nanaimo Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 250 729 8000html Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo ?w=500&h= 1&s=11ad3ab63131b3ec4910ace5edb0ec800 British Columbia Nanaimo Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 250 729 8000html Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo ?w=1200&h=1200&s=1Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 75017849 F KcN47vZvwzurNCrUOm2GDxxJLtE61PjluOKDily64 AF1QipP1zIsdkKeiD0mgYbsvG7ZYK7T85hJCj XG5Sf AF1QipPF0s9KJ4QueGo0sF2aFF0NblBtEjZzJWAH1khOAF1QipOy4Sa3H0MTXYIaiW88oNF3SSAGlUDy4Fuy4WJDAF1QipMOu2gzo9YR2hC9fpIIOVyLiSIN7pfE5UgT5AE775017849 2jmF3orDiOM4F9X6Q444TjNhOjZD7sCPzOR5lmxeNjg AF1QipO7V6e24LI46lxKMwrCRsJY4jYGB6uWxL 48Z5xGalaxy Cinemas Galaxy Cinema 1280x677 Galaxy Cinemas O Galaxy 1 6b9d35ad56c0fc5c8e9b6fa794c56a7e British Columbia Nanaimo Dover Community Association Landmark Cinemas Nanaimo 250 390 5021html Galaxy Cinemas Galaxy 1 Fatma Jarghon 8ELU74vnhPg Unsplash 599e691ab582ae3e2b21204e4a920074 British Columbia Nanaimo Dover Community Association Landmark Cinemas Nanaimo 250 390 5021html C870x524 The Local Theatre In ?w=1200&h= 1&s=1Galaxy Cinema Mobilised Capital From Bond Issuance ?rt=20210622205328Sony Digital Cinema Auditorium Nb.0822 Nb Galaxy