He could have been the starting striker for Mexico National Team, but Martino preferred Funes Mori

The Mexican national team will play against Guatemala on April 27 in what will be their first friendly game of the season, which means that the Aztec squad won’t have the usual roster, given that teams are not obliged to loan them as it0’s not a FIFA match window.

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"It is not reasonable that Marcelo Flores' decision is subject to a World Cup": Gerardo Tata Martino

Although Gerardo “Tata” Martino won’t be able to be on the sideline of Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, Florida, given that his health prevents him from travelling, the players that he called for the game are some that could end up on the final roster to Qatar 2022.

He’ll use the game against Guatemala to tryout players that don’t are regularly considered for the first team, although they have the talent to compete against the usual roster and given that Martino hasn’t found a striker that scores consistently, that’s one of his priorities for now.

Raúl Jiménez, Henry Martín and Rogelio Funes Mori, his top three options, scored only six goals on the CONCACAF Qualifiers, being Funes Mori the striker that found the net the less, as he only scored one goal, back in October.

Martino chose Funes Mori over a player that now wants to represent USMNT

As if the bad performances that “El Mellizo” has had with El Tri in recent months, he even missed the past FIFA match window due to an injury that hasn’t let him play a single game since March 12. So far, he’s missed nine games with CF Monterrey and three with El Tri.

His lack of goals, added to the long period that he’s missed due to injury has Gerardo Martino thinking about the other option he had for El Tri’s attack when he decided to chose Funes Mori over Sebastían Guerra Soto.

Sebastián Soto currently plays in Premier League side Norwich City FC, where he joined the past winter transfer window on a short loan with option to buy out of Scottish Premiership side Livingston FC. So far, he’s played seven out of the 12 games he’s been on the roster since he joined.

Will he play for Mexico?

After Soto realized that Gerardo Martino wasn’t considering him to be part of El Tri, the 21-year-old inclined for USMNT, where he’s played two friendly games with the senior team, as well as completing his process in the academy squads, closing the door to Mexico National Team.

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